Search the Community

Chapter 1: This is a joke, right? Lisa was wandering around her house frantically, getting ready to leave for work. She couldn't find half of what she needed and was about to miss her bus. Finally finding the all-important house keys, she ran out the door, locking it behind her. She sighed in relief and ran down her driveway to find a small package by her mailbox. "That's odd," Lisa thought, "I haven't ordered anything recently." She deposited the package in her purse and hurried to the bus stop just in time to catch the 12, the only bus that stopped near her work. Once taking her seat on the near-empty bus, she pulled out the box and examined it. Only her address was written on it, so she had no way of knowing where it came from or if it was meant for her. She ripped off the tape to be welcomed by bubble wrap. "This is adorable!" Lisa thought as she unwrapped the rest of the package, she saw a cute bracelet with green marble-like rocks. After putting on the bracelet, Lisa spotted a note in the box. Unfolding it, she began to read it. "To whoever receives this bracelet, I am sorry, I just couldn't take it anymore. This thing has ruined my life. I don't know where it came from but received it one day. After a few days of wearing it, I discovered this thing can grant wishes when you say "I wish.." THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING! I swear it's like a monkey's paw. You won't notice it at first, but if you aren't careful, it'll ruin you over time. You can't take back a wish once it's been made. If you are smart, you won't use it! Good luck and good riddance. Please be smart." Lisa laughed; this had to be a joke, right? The bus screeched to a stop, reminding her why she had been on the bus in the first place. Luckily for her, her workplace was only 2 stops away, so it took no time on the bus, but walking would take forever. She climbed off, thanked the bus driver, and went to the small office building in front of her. It was 5 stories high, which was small compared to the skyscrapers in the nearby area. Unfortunately for Lisa, she works on the fifth floor where an advertising company is located. So when the elevator is down, which happens often, an annoying journey up the stairs is required. Not fun in heels. "Please let them be working, please let them be working, please!" She spoke to herself as she turned the corner to where the elevators were. "Closed due to Maintenance" hung on the doors. "Danmit! I wish the elevator would just work." Suddenly, the door behind her opened as the elevator repair man walked out. "Then you got good timing. I just finished up," He told her. "Wait, are you serious? You have it working again?" Lisa's voice carried a mix of disbelief and relief. The repairman nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Yep, just finished up. Good timing on your part." A surge of gratitude washed over Lisa. "Wow, talk about luck. Thank you so much!" "Not a problem," he said, stepping aside to let her enter the elevator. "What floor are you headed to?" "The 5th," Lisa replied, stepping in and pressing the button. "Ah, perfect. You're all set then," he remarked, moving to remove the maintenance sign. Lisa couldn't help but grin. "You've just saved me from a trek up a gazillion stairs in these heels. You're a lifesaver." The repairman chuckled, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "Glad I could be of service. Have a good one!" "You too! Thanks again," Lisa called as the doors slid shut, leaving her alone in the now-functioning elevator. Once on the 5th floor, Lisa rushed over to her desk; she was late enough as it was and didn't want to run into her manager or stop to chit-chat with a coworker and get busted. Setting her things down and taking her seat, Lisa sighed in relief. "Few, finally made it, and now what do I have going on today? Looks like I have a meeting in an hour in conference room 501." *Gurgle* "Shoot, I didn't have enough time to get breakfast. I wish I had something to eat this morning; otherwise, this will be a long day." *knock* *knocK* "Hey, Lisa. Do you have a minute?" Looking up from her Computer, Lisa saw her coworker Sarah. "Hey, Sarah! what's up?" "I noticed you were running a little behind today, and you look like you could use a pick me up. I have an extra breakfast burrito I made this morning. Would you like it? If you heat it up for like 30 seconds in the microwave, it comes out amazing!" "Oh my god, you are a lifesaver, Sarah! Thank you so much. I had a hectic night last night; I'll tell you more about it at lunch." "Rain check, I'm heading out early today; I've got a doctor's appointment I need to go to, maybe Monday after the weekend unless you want to meet sooner?" "I'll get back to you. I got to unbury myself; there's a ton of things I need to catch up on." Sarah's breakfast burrito was amazing and definitely hit the spot. Now being able to focus, Lisa spent her time before her meeting catching up on emails and direct messages and preparing for the meeting. The prep work paid off while in the meeting as she provided solid updates on the status of their latest project, but before returning to work, she had to stop by the bathroom for a pee break. Only to see that three other ladies were waiting for a stall to open up. "Can you believe how long these lines get during peak hours?" Lisa chuckled nervously, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Yeah, tell me about it," replied Sarah, her voice sympathetic. "I swear, I practically live in this line some days." A middle-aged woman in line with them nodded in agreement. "You'd think they'd install more stalls or something with how crowded it gets." Lisa chuckled, feeling discomfort as another wave of urgency hit her. "Yeah, that would be nice. Honestly, I wish I didn't have to pee so often." Sarah chuckled. "Yeah, it's just one of those things we women have to deal with, right?" Lisa nodded, trying to ignore the increasing pressure in her bladder. "Yeah, I suppose so." As they continued to wait, Lisa's discomfort grew. She shifted from one foot to the other, trying to distract herself from the urge to pee. But the pressure was becoming unbearable. "Come on, come on," Lisa muttered, hoping desperately for a stall to open up soon. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, one of the stalls became available. Lisa practically dashed inside, grateful for the relief it offered. The discomfort from her full bladder now a distant memory. She resumes her work with renewed focus, navigating the rest of the day's tasks without significant hiccups. As evening approached, Lisa gathered her belongings, ready to return home on the bus during the peak transit hours. She joined the bustling crowd at the bus stop, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of dinner and relaxation after a long day at work. The bus arrived, and she could already see from the outside that it was pretty full. Upon getting inside, she saw her suspicion was correct: no seats left, and she'd have to stand. As Lisa stood in the crowded bus, she felt a sudden, urgent need to pee. Panic surged as she glanced down at her new pair of pants, desperately not wanting to ruin them. The pressure in her bladder was unbearable, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold it much longer. Without thinking, she frantically whispered, "I wish I had some way to protect my pants." Instantly, she felt a strange sensation over her, followed by a wave of relief as she felt herself peeing. But to her shock, her pants remained completely dry. At the same time, her crotch started to feel warm. Lisa's eyes widened in disbelief as she was peeing herself. She glanced around nervously, hoping no one had noticed her moment of weakness. But as she looked at her fellow passengers, she saw that they were all engrossed in their conversations or staring blankly out the window, oblivious to her predicament. Feeling both relieved and bewildered, Lisa cautiously reached down to touch her pants, half-expecting to find them soaked despite the lack of any wet sensation. But to her amazement, they were completely dry, as if nothing had happened. However, she noticed that her underwear seemed like they swelled up, absorbing the pee, as she could still feel the warmth, and even a bit of weight was now weighing them down. "What the heck is protecting my pants?" Chapter 2: Is that a Pullup? As the bus rumbled along its route, Lisa's mind raced with confusion and disbelief. She glanced around, hoping no one would notice that she just peed herself. "What just happened?" she whispered, her heart pounding with embarrassment and bewilderment. She tried to calm her nerves with a deep breath, chalking it up to a bizarre fluke. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, or she was just overly stressed from the long day at work. But even as she tried to rationalize the inexplicable event, a nagging sense of unease lingered in the back of her mind. There was something undeniably strange about the way her pants remained dry despite it feeling like her bladder released its contents. Lost in her thoughts, Lisa almost missed her stop. With a jolt of realization, she made her way to the front of the bus, eager to escape the uncomfortable confines of the crowded vehicle. Stepping off the bus onto the sidewalk, Lisa took a moment to gather her thoughts. She knew she couldn't dwell on the strange occurrence forever; she had to focus on getting home and putting the bizarre incident behind her. As she walked the short distance to her apartment building, Lisa couldn't shake the feeling of the swollen underwear between her legs, making her worry that her peeing wasn't just in her head. Entering her apartment, Lisa tossed her purse onto her beanbag chair in her bedroom. The box and note were still in it, slightly spilling out of her bag as it landed. Feeling utterly drained both physically and emotionally, Lisa moved to her couch out in the living room and collapsed onto it. She needed time to process everything that had happened but knew she couldn't afford to dwell on it indefinitely. With a sigh, she pushed herself to her feet and went to the kitchen, her stomach grumbling in protest. Dinner seemed like a distant afterthought, but she knew she needed to eat something to replenish her energy after the long day. As she rummaged through the fridge, her eyes fell on a box of leftover pizza from the night before. With a shrug, she grabbed the container and popped a few slices into the microwave. As she waited for her meal to heat up, her thoughts drifted back to the strange bracelet on her wrist. It was adorable, but where did it come from? Was it okay to keep it? What was up with that weird note? *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* The microwave sounded, breaking her train of thought and bringing her back to her dinner. As Lisa sat down to eat her dinner, she couldn't shake the unease that had settled over her since the bizarre incident on the bus. The pizza tasted bland, the flavors muted by her racing thoughts. She kept glancing down at the bracelet on her wrist, its intricate design catching the light from the overhead lamp. With a heavy sigh, Lisa took her last bite, her appetite gone from the bland flavor. She felt she should address the weird feeling from on the bus but wasn't sure where to start; it was all too weird. The logical part of her brain screamed that it was all just in her head, a series of strange events with rational explanations. But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that something more was at play. After staring blankly at the wall for a few minutes, Lisa pushed herself up from the table and went to the bathroom to shower. The shower's hot water sounded inviting, a temporary escape from the chaos swirling around her mind. As she undressed, she couldn't help but glance down at her underwear. To her horror and confusion, she saw that her panties had been replaced by what looked like a girls' pull-up diaper. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, sending a shiver down her spine. "What the...?" Lisa muttered, her hands trembling as she touched the strange garment. It was soft to the touch. Panic threatened to overwhelm her as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. Confused, she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, the image of a grown woman wearing a diaper staring back at her. As Lisa stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection in disbelief, she tried to convince herself that it was all just a bizarre hallucination brought on by stress and exhaustion. "This can't be real," she muttered, her voice trembling with uncertainty. Shaking her head, she quickly stripped off the pull-up diaper, tossing it into the trash bin with disgust and disbelief. "I must be losing my mind," she whispered, her hands still trembling as she turned on the shower, desperate to wash away the day's strange events. The hot water cascaded over her body, providing some much-needed comfort and clarity amidst the chaos of her thoughts. As she scrubbed away the tension and confusion, she tried to push aside the nagging feeling that the diaper was real. Once she had finished her shower, Lisa wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out of the bathroom, determined to put the bizarre events behind her and get some much-needed rest. With each step, she tried to convince herself that it was all just a figment of her imagination, resulting from an overactive mind and a stressful day at work. She moved to her bedroom, where she retrieved a fresh pair of panties from her dresser drawer, determined to put the day's strange events behind her. Slipping into the comfortable cotton panties, Lisa couldn't shake the memory of the pull-up diaper she had found herself wearing earlier. It was all too surreal, too bizarre to be real. Yet, the soft fabric of the panties against her skin offered some semblance of normalcy, grounding her in the present moment. Oddly, they didn't feel like the pull-up she thought she saw herself wearing. Could it have really been a pull-up diaper? With a sigh, Lisa grabbed a cozy pair of pajamas from her closet, eager to relax and unwind after the tumultuous day she had endured. As she slipped into the soft fabric, she felt a slight sense of relief wash over her, the warmth of the pajamas soothing her frayed nerves. Tired from the day's events, Lisa opted to go to sleep and crawled into bed. She usually would stay up to watch some TV or read a good book, but with the stresses from work, the date she had last night, and the weirdness she experienced today, she figured getting sleep was the better option for tonight. Chapter 3: That was a Weird Dream On Saturday morning, Lisa awoke to the sunlight seeping through the curtains. She groaned softly as she stretched her limbs, feeling the warmth of the morning sun. She enjoyed the blissful ignorance of sleep for a moment, her mind still shielded from the previous day's events. But as she shifted in bed, her thoughts inevitably drifted back to the strange occurrences that had unfolded—a bizarre package, a mysterious bracelet, and the unsettling discovery of the pull-up she was wearing. "Must've been a weird dream," she mumbled to herself, her voice thick with sleep as she attempted to dismiss the surreal memories that lingered in the recesses of her mind. "There's no way any of that was real." Despite her attempts to convince herself of the absurdity of it all, a lingering sense of unease persisted within her consciousness. There was something undeniably tangible about the memories, a lingering presence that refused to be dismissed as mere figments of her imagination. Pushing aside her lingering doubts, Lisa swung her legs over the edge of the bed, preparing to face the day ahead. As she stretched, a sudden, intense pressure in her bladder jolted her from her thoughts, causing her to freeze mid-motion. "Uh-oh," she muttered under her breath, her heart sinking as the urgency of her need to pee washed over her. It was an overwhelming sensation, demanding her immediate attention and threatening to ruin her day before it started. Lisa scrambled out of bed, her movements quick and frantic as she stumbled towards the bathroom. The painful discomfort with each step reminded her of the urgency to relieve herself. As Lisa reached the bathroom door, her sense of urgency intensified, each step feeling heavier as if trudging through mud. The pressure in her bladder seemed to swell with each passing second, a relentless reminder of her body's urgent demand. Finally reaching the bathroom, Lisa's hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob, her heart pounding. With a shaky breath, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, her eyes darting to the familiar sight of the toilet. But before she could register her next move, a sudden wave of warmth flooded her. Panic seized her as she realized what was happening, her hands fumbling with the waistband of her pajama pants in a frantic attempt to undo them. But a strange sensation overcame her before she could even step closer to the toilet. A soft rustling sound filled the air, accompanied by a strange sensation against her skin. Lisa's eyes widened in shock as she looked down, expecting to see her pants darkening with the telltale signs of her accident. But to her bewilderment, her pants remained dry, untouched by the inevitable release of her bladder. Instead, a faint crinkling sound reached her ears, followed by the sensation of something expanding against her skin. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Lisa realized what was happening. Her heart raced as she looked down, her eyes widening in disbelief at the sight before her. A pull-up diaper, once again, was in the place of her panties, soaked with the evidence of her accident. Lisa's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the surreal scene before her, unable to comprehend how such a thing could happen. This still had to be a dream, right? There's no way this would be possible. But it felt real. There she was, seeing herself in the mirror again, in a soaked pull-up diaper for little girls. Looking around, she could tell she was still in her apartment; things weren't different, and then it caught her eye. Her purse was sitting on the beanbag chair in her room, with a small box and a note sticking out. The reality of the situation sank in, and a sense of dread washed over her. This was no dream, no figment of her imagination. It was all too real; Lisa quickly slid back up her pants and ran over to the note to reread it and see if she missed any information. Lisa frantically sifted through the box's contents, her hands trembling with anxiety and disbelief. She felt frustration wash over her. The absence of clues regarding the mysterious bracelet's origin only increased her bewilderment. She scanned the note again, her eyes darting over the hastily scrawled words in search of any hidden meaning or clue that might shed light on her predicament. But the message remained cryptic, offering no further insight into the true nature of the bracelet or its origins. A sense of helplessness washed over Lisa as she realized nothing could explain what was happening. She then attempted to remove the bracelet from her wrist, but her efforts proved futile, the band clinging stubbornly to her skin as if fused in place by some unseen force. Panic surged through her veins as she tugged at the bracelet with increasing desperation, her mind racing with a million unanswered questions. Suddenly, her phone started to ring, breaking her thoughts and frustration at the bracelet. She fumbled for her phone, her heart pounding with fear and apprehension. The caller ID revealed Sarah's name. With a shaky breath, she answered the call, her voice a little cracked from her worries and just recently waking up. "Hello?" she ventured tentatively, followed by her clearing her throat as she realized how raspy she first sounded. "Hey, Lisa, are you okay?" Sarah's voice sounded concerned, her words tinged with worry as she sensed the tension in Lisa's voice. Lisa hesitated momentarily, grappling with the overwhelming urge to confide in Sarah, to unburden herself of the weight of her newfound reality. But the fear of sounding insane, of being dismissed as delusional, held her back. "I... I'm fine," she replied hesitantly, her words tinged with uncertainty as she struggled to mask the turmoil within her. "Just... woke up a minute ago. What's up?" "I just wanted to check in on you," she said softly, her words laced with sincerity. "You seemed a little off yesterday, and I wanted to ensure everything's okay. Maybe meet up for coffee and talk about Thursday night?" "Oh, that's right! I didn't get to tell you yet, did I?" she replied, her voice becoming energized with the distraction and the prospect of sharing the spicy details of her date on Thursday. "That sounds great," Lisa said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips despite the lingering unease gnawing at her. "Coffee sounds like just what I need right now." Sarah's relieved sigh was audible through the phone. "I'm glad to hear that. How about we meet up at Brew Haven around noon? That should give us plenty of time to catch up." "Sounds perfect," Lisa replied, her voice steadier now as she focused on the prospect of spending time with her friend. "I'll see you there." Lisa's mind raced with a million conflicting thoughts and emotions as they confirmed the details. On one hand, she was grateful for the distraction and the chance to talk with Sarah about her recent date. But on the other hand, she couldn't imagine having another accident while hanging out with her friend. Chapter 4: New Panties Please As Lisa stood in the bathroom stall, her mind reeling from the surreal experience, she couldn't shake the feeling that something extraordinary was happening. The evidence was right in front of her—the pull-up diaper now snugly wrapped around her hips, soaked with her latest accident. With trembling hands, Lisa reached down to touch the smooth fabric of the pull-up, her fingers tracing the contours of the unfamiliar material. It was a surreal sensation, the reality of the situation sinking in with each passing moment. "I... I can't believe this is happening," she murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled to face the bizarre turn of events. "This... this can't be real." But as she looked down at the pull-up, its soft padding offering a strange comfort in her confusion, Lisa knew she could no longer deny the truth. Something extraordinary was at play. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Lisa forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She couldn't afford to dwell on the surreal nature of her situation, not when there were other people waiting outside for the stall. Gathering her courage, Lisa quickly checked her pants for any signs of the pull-up underneath. To her relief, there was no telltale bulge or outline that would give away her secret. It was as if the pull-up had seamlessly blended into her clothing, leaving no trace of its presence. With a silent prayer of gratitude, Lisa straightened her posture and composed herself before finally flushing the toilet to avoid suspicion and unlocking the stall door. Stepping out into the bathroom, she offered a quick apology to the other ladies waiting outside, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment at her earlier rudeness. "Sorry about that," she muttered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she met their gaze with a sheepish smile. "I didn't mean to cut in front of you like that." The other women offered polite nods in response, their expressions a mixture of annoyance and understanding. "No worries, honey," one of them said, her tone gentle and reassuring. "We've all been there before." With a sense of relief, Lisa hurriedly washed her hands, eager to put some distance between herself and the awkward encounter. As she exited the bathroom, Lisa's mind raced with questions, her thoughts consumed by the inexplicable magic that seemed to be at play. How was it possible that her panties had transformed into a pull-up, seemingly of their own accord? And what did it mean for her future if such bizarre occurrences continued to unfold? As she walked, Lisa couldn't shake the uncomfortable sensation of the wet pull-up against her skin, a constant reminder of her life's surreal turn. Feeling increasingly frustrated and disgusted by the situation, Lisa couldn't help but resent the childish garment clinging to her hips. It was a humiliating symbol of the inexplicable magic that seemed to have taken hold of her life. With a deepening scowl, Lisa finally reached her desk and sank into her chair, the wet pull-up squelching beneath her with an unpleasant squish. Grimacing, she shifted uncomfortably, trying in vain to find a position that would alleviate the discomfort. But as she fidgeted in her seat, her mind raced with a single thought: she needed to figure out what was causing these bizarre occurrences. With its cryptic note and mysterious powers, the bracelet seemed to be the only explanation. With trembling hands, Lisa reached down to her wrist, fingers fumbling over the smooth surface of the bracelet. She tried to slide it off, but it refused to budge as if fused to her skin. Panic rising within her, she attempted to cut it off with scissors from her desk drawer, but the metal remained unscathed as if mocking her futile efforts. Frustration boiled within her, mingling with a sense of helplessness. She was trapped, bound to this cursed bracelet with no means of escape. Each wish only seemed to entangle her further in its magic web, leaving her more powerless than ever. Desperate for answers, Lisa began to make wish after wish, each more fervent than the last. She wished for the bracelet to be removed, for knowledge about its origins, for it to disappear entirely, for it to stop meddling with her life. But with each wish, nothing changed. The bracelet remained firmly in place, keeping her captive until satisfied. Defeated, Lisa slumped back in her chair, tears of frustration pricking at the corners of her eyes, threatening to overwhelm her with the magnitude of the situation she found herself in. How had a simple bracelet turned her life upside down in such a short amount of time? As she leaned back, on the edge of tears, "I wish I at least had a new pair of panties," she muttered under her breath, more as a desperate plea than a genuine belief in its fulfillment. With tears threatening to spill from her eyes, Lisa's whispered wish hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of her desperation for a reprieve from the chaos. As Lisa attempted to gather her composure and focus on her work, she reached into her purse for her earbuds, hoping that immersing herself in music would offer a temporary escape from the chaos swirling around her. With trembling fingers, she fumbled through her bag until her fingertips brushed against something unexpected. Pulling out her hand, Lisa's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the object now nestled in her palm—a pristine pair of panties, neatly folded and seemingly untouched by the events of the day. She blinked in disbelief, unable to comprehend how they had appeared in her purse as if materializing out of thin air. For a moment, Lisa questioned her sanity, her mind reeling from the inexplicable sight before her. But as she reached out to touch the fabric, her fingers tracing the delicate lace trim, she couldn't deny the reality of the situation. Somehow, her wish had been granted again, this time in a manner that defied all logic and reason. As Lisa looked around the bustling office, her heart pounding with apprehension, she couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that someone must have seen her moment of desperation, running to the bathroom. Thinking she might have leaked and needed a new pair. But as she scanned the room, her gaze darting from one face to another, she found no trace of recognition or curiosity in the eyes of her coworkers; hell, no one was even glancing her way. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lisa focused on getting changed and cleaned up. Grabbing her purse, she stood up and headed towards the bathroom, knowing she needed a way to conceal the pull-up for safe disposal. She is glad to at least have a change of underwear, her mind racing with a million questions and fears. What if they think she can't control her bladder? What if she couldn't? The thought made her skin crawl with unease, a cold shiver running down her spine as she pushed open the door to the restroom. Inside, the familiar hum of running water and whispered conversations greeted her, a comforting backdrop to the chaos swirling within her mind. With practiced ease, Lisa made her way to the nearest stall; thankfully, the line had subsided, her movements brisk and efficient as she locked the door behind her and quickly shed her soiled garment. A sense of relief washed over her as she peeled off the wet pull-up. A chill ran up her body as the cool air of the restroom offered a welcome reprieve from the suffocating discomfort of the past hour. With trembling hands, Lisa hastily donned the fresh pair of panties, her fingers fumbling with the delicate lace trim as she struggled to compose herself. But as she finished dressing and prepared to leave the stall, a sudden wave of panic washed over her, the fear of discovery gripping her heart with icy fingers. What if someone saw her leaving the stall with the pull-up in her purse? The thought made her stomach churn with dread, her mind racing with a million worst-case scenarios. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Lisa closed her purse after burying the pull-up as far down as she could. With a determined stride, she unlocked the stall door and stepped out into the restroom, her gaze sweeping the room for any sign of prying eyes. To her relief, the restroom was empty, the only sound the distant chatter from the hallway outside. With a sigh of relief, Lisa made her way to the nearest trash bin, her movements quick as she dug out the pull-up and disposed of it. But as she left the restroom, her heart skipped a beat as she collided with a familiar figure standing right outside, her eyes widening in surprise as she found herself face to face with Sarah. "Hey, Lisa!" Sarah exclaimed, her tone bright and cheerful as she offered her friend a warm smile. "Fancy running into you here. Everything okay?" For a moment, Lisa felt a surge of panic coursing through her veins, the fear of discovery threatening to overwhelm her. But with a forced smile and a casual shrug, she brushed off Sarah's concern with practiced ease, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her. "Yeah, everything's fine," Lisa replied, her tone light and nonchalant as she sidestepped Sarah's probing gaze. "Just needed a quick break, you know how it is." Sarah nodded understandingly, her expression sympathetic as she reached out to squeeze Lisa's shoulder in a gesture of support. "Of course, I get it," she said, her tone gentle and reassuring. "Well, if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me. I'm always here for you." "Thanks," Lisa said, her voice tinged with warmth as she met her friend's gaze. "I really appreciate it. There's been a lot going on lately that I'm honestly still working through. I could use a coffee date if you're up for it tomorrow?" "Absolutely! Text me over the details later; I'm open all day." With a final nod of gratitude, Lisa turned and headed back to her desk, her mind still reeling from the whirlwind of emotions and revelations that had unfolded throughout the day. As she settled into her chair, she couldn't shake the lingering sense of impossibility. Glancing at the clock, Lisa realized she still had a few hours left in the workday. With a determined sigh, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand, pushing aside her worries and distractions as she delved into her work with renewed determination. As the hours ticked by and the end of the workday drew near, Lisa's curiosity got the better of her. With a hesitant glance around the office to ensure no one was watching, she reached down to her wrist and touched the smooth surface of the bracelet, her fingers tracing its intricate patterns with a sense of trepidation. Summoning her courage, Lisa closed her eyes and made a wish, her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke the words that would set the wheels of fate in motion. "I wish I didn't have to ride the bus," she murmured, her heart pounding as she awaited the inevitable response. To her surprise, the answer came swiftly and unexpectedly as a ringing phone. Startled, Lisa reached for her cell phone, her pulse quickening with anticipation as she answered the call. "Hello?" she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she held the phone to her ear. "Hey, sweetie, it's Mom," came the familiar voice on the other end of the line, warm and reassuring. "I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing." Disappointment flooded through Lisa at the sound of her mother's voice. It was great to hear from her, but she was hoping for a call about winning a car or something. Either way, her mom's call was a comforting reminder of the love and support that surrounded her. With a grateful smile, she leaned back in her chair, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders as she settled into the conversation with her mom. As they spoke, Lisa's mother mentioned that she was in the area and offered to give Lisa a ride home from work, sparing her the usual ordeal of navigating the crowded bus and rush-hour traffic. Grateful for the unexpected gesture, Lisa readily accepted, her heart swelling with gratitude for her mother's kindness. As she hung up the phone, she couldn't help but wonder, did her wish come true? At least she didn't have to ride the bus today, but was it just a coincidence? Meeting her mom in the office lobby, Lisa couldn't help but notice the weary lines that creased her mother's face, the sadness that lingered in her eyes. Sensing that something was amiss, Lisa hesitated momentarily before approaching the subject with her mother, her voice hesitant as she spoke. "Mom, is everything okay?" she asked, her tone filled with concern as she searched her mother's face for any sign of distress. Her mother hesitated momentarily, her gaze drifting away as if lost in thought. But then, with a heavy sigh, she finally spoke, her voice tinged with sadness and resignation, as her eyes began to tear up. "No, sweetheart, everything's not okay," she admitted, her words weighted with emotion. "Your father and I... we're having some problems. I... I left him this morning. Nothing's final, but I'm frustrated." Lisa's heart sank at her mother's words, a wave of sadness washing over her as she realized the depth of her parents' troubles. She reached out to her mother, offering a comforting hug as tears welled up in her own eyes. "I'm so sorry, Mom," Lisa whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I had no idea things had gotten this bad. You don't have to talk about it now if you don't want to, but know that I'm here for you, no matter what." Her mother returned the embrace, holding onto Lisa seeking solace in her daughter's arms. "Thank you, sweetheart," she murmured, her voice muffled against Lisa's shoulder. "I just need some time to figure things out. But it means the world to me to know that you're here for me." As Lisa and her mom walked out of the office building towards her mom's car, Lisa couldn't help but notice the trunk of her car was packed full of her belongings. Concern etched lines on Lisa's forehead as she glanced at her mom. "Mom, where are you staying?" Lisa asked gently, her voice filled with worry. Her mother sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and uncertainty clouding her expression. "I... I don't know yet," she admitted, her voice tinged with sadness. "I just needed to get away for a while, figure things out." Lisa's heart ached for her mother, the weight of their shared troubles pressing down on her shoulders. Without hesitation, she squeezed her mom's hand, offering a silent gesture of support. "You can stay with me," Lisa blurted out before she could second-guess herself. "I mean, if you want to. My apartment isn't big, but we'll make it work." Tears welled up in her mother's eyes, gratitude shining bright amidst the uncertainty. "Oh, sweetheart, thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't know what I would do without you." As they reached Lisa's car, her mother hesitated before turning to her with a hopeful smile. "And if you ever need a ride somewhere, just let me know. I'll be there for you." As Lisa's mom's words hung in the air, Lisa felt her heart skip a beat, her mind racing with a sudden, chilling realization. Could it be possible that her wish had inadvertently affected her mother's behavior? The thought sent a shiver down her spine, the weight of guilt settling heavily upon her shoulders. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Lisa replayed the events of the last two days in her mind, searching for any connection between her wishes and the events that had unfolded. It was too much of a coincidence to ignore—the timing, the circumstances, everything seemed to point to her. As her mother climbed into the driver's seat and started the car, Lisa's thoughts whirled with uncertainty and fear. What had she done? What if her wishes continued to impact the lives of those around her, causing unintended consequences and chaos? Chapter 5: Motherly Advice As Lisa and her mom drove back to Lisa's apartment, the silence between them was intense, the air thick to the point where you could cut it with a butter knife if you wanted to. Unspoken words and unresolved emotions lingering in the air. Lisa stared out the window, lost in thought, her mind still reeling from the realization that her wishes might be affecting those around her. Her mom glanced over at Lisa, concern etched on her face. "You've been quiet, sweetheart. Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice gentle. Lisa blinked, gazing away at the passing scenery to meet her mother's worried eyes. "Yeah, Mom, everything's fine," she replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her mother studied her for a moment as if trying to decipher the truth hidden behind Lisa's facade, but ultimately, she sighed and returned her attention to the road. "Alright, sweetheart, if you say so," she said, her tone tinged with disappointment. Lisa's heart twisted with guilt at the hurt evident in her mother's voice, but she couldn't bring herself to confide in her just yet. Not when she didn't fully understand the extent of the situation herself. As they pulled into the parking lot of Lisa's apartment building, Lisa felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She glanced over at her mother, her heart heavy with the burden of her secret. How could she explain what was happening without sounding crazy? "Thanks for the ride, Mom," Lisa said softly as they stepped out of the car, her eyes avoiding her mother's concerned gaze. Her mother frowned, sensing Lisa's unease. "Are you sure everything's alright, Lisa?" she asked, reaching for her daughter's hand. Lisa forced a reassuring smile, the weight of her guilt threatening to crush her. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just a lot on my mind lately, you know?" she replied, her voice tight with emotion. Her mother's expression softened with understanding, but Lisa could see the worry lingering in her eyes. "Well, if you ever need to talk about anything, you know I'm here for you, right?" her mother said, her voice filled with love and concern. Lisa nodded, her throat tight with unshed tears. "Thanks. I appreciate it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. As they made their way to Lisa's apartment, her mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions. How could she fix the situation with her parents? Would a wish fix it? The thought of her mother being affected by her wishes filled Lisa with a sickening dread. Once inside her apartment, Lisa helped her mother carry in a few bags of clothes, among other things, her movements distracted as she tried to push aside her mounting anxiety. But as they set the bags down in the living room, a sudden urge gripped Lisa "Shit..." she cursed under her breath as she stumbled backward, nearly dropping the bags she was holding. Her mother's eyes widened in alarm, concern etched on her face. "Lisa, what happened? Are you okay?" she asked, rushing to her daughter's side, concern etched on her face, Lisa forced a tight-lipped smile, her mind racing with panic. "I-I'm fine, just need to use the bathroom," she stammered, her voice strained with the effort of holding back her urgency. Without waiting for a response, Lisa hastily set down the bags and bolted towards the bathroom, her hand pressed tightly between her legs as she fought to maintain control. Her mother's worried gaze followed her daughter's frantic movements, her heart twisting with concern at the sight of Lisa's obvious distress. As Lisa reached the bathroom door, her bladder screamed for release, a hot wave of pressure coursing through her body. With a shaky exhale of relief, Lisa pushed open the door and stumbled into the bathroom, her legs shaking with the effort of holding back her impending accident. Her mother hovered anxiously in the hallway, her eyes wide with concern as she watched her daughter's desperate dash to the toilet. With a frantic whimper, Lisa reached the toilet just in time, her body trembling with the effort of holding back her desperate need to pee. With a shuddering sigh of relief, she collapsed onto the seat, her bladder releasing a torrent of pent-up pressure. Hisssssss..... Outside the bathroom, Lisa's mother stood frozen in place, her heart heavy with worry as she listened to the sound of her daughter's desperate relief. There were no signs she had to pee that bad. Did she even know she had to go that bad? Her mom thought, worried about the health and well-being of her daughter. As Lisa sat on the toilet, her mind raced with a whirlwind of confusion and fear. What was happening to her? Why did she keep experiencing these sudden urges to pee? It felt like her body was betraying her at the worst possible time, given the weird magic with the pull-ups appearing when she pees herself. After a few moments, Lisa managed to compose herself enough to stand up and flush the toilet. She washed her hands, her mind still reeling from the recent events. When she opened the bathroom door, her mother was waiting outside, her expression a mix of concern and confusion. "Are you... okay? That was quite a close call," her mother said, her voice gentle yet probing. Lisa tried to brush off her mother's concern, a faint blush tinting her cheeks with embarrassment. "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I just got caught up in bringing the stuff in and didn't realize how bad I needed to go," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. Her mother, however, wasn't buying it. "Honey, that was more than just getting distracted. Are you sure everything is okay?" she asked, her tone gentle but firm. Lisa shifted uncomfortably, her mind racing for a plausible explanation. "It's nothing, Mom, really. Just a one-off thing," she insisted, avoiding her mother's probing gaze. Her mother sighed, placing a comforting hand on Lisa's shoulder. "Sweetheart, this isn't the first time something like this has happened, is it?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. Lisa's cheeks burned with shame as she shook her head, unable to meet her mother's gaze. "No, it's not," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. Lisa's mother's brow furrowed with worry. "That isn't normal, honey. How long has this been happening?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. Lisa hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest. "It's been... a couple of days," she admitted, her voice barely audible. Her mother's eyes widened in alarm. "A couple of days!? We need to get you to a doctor," she exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency. Lisa's heart sank at the thought of having to explain everything to a doctor. "I-I don't think it's necessary, Mom. It's probably just stress or something," she stammered, her voice tinged with desperation; how could she possibly admit to having a toddler's bladder issue as an adult to another person? Her mother shook her head, her expression firm. "No, Lisa, this could be something serious. We need to get you checked out," she insisted, her tone leaving no room for argument. With a heavy sigh, she nodded, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Okay, Mom. I'll go to the walk-in later," she promised, her voice barely above a whisper. Her mother's expression softened, her worry evident in her eyes. "Okay, just promise me you'll take care of yourself, alright?" she said, reassuringly squeezing Lisa's shoulder. Lisa forced a smile, grateful for her mother's understanding. "I will, I promise," she said, her voice steadier now. With a nod, her mother released Lisa's shoulder and turned towards the door. "Alright, well, let's get the rest of these bags in, shall we?" she said, her tone lightening as she tried to change the subject. Lisa nodded, relieved by the change in topic. "Yeah, sounds good. And hey, how about we order takeout for dinner tonight? My treat," she suggested, hoping to distract her mother from pressing the issue further. Her mother smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "That sounds wonderful, sweetheart. I could go for some Chinese food. What do you think?" she asked, her enthusiasm contagious. Lisa grinned, grateful for her mother's easy acceptance. "Chinese it is, then. I'll go grab the menus, and we can decide what to get," she said, heading towards the kitchen. As they settled on their dinner choices, the tension that had filled the apartment dissipated, replaced by a sense of normalcy that was comforting to both. They spent the evening enjoying their meal and catching up on each other's lives, the earlier events pushed to the back of their minds, at least for the time being. As the night wore on, Lisa and her mother finished their dinner and settled into a comfortable routine to end the night. They chatted about mundane things, and eventually, it was time for bed. "Goodnight, Mom," Lisa said, warmly hugging her mother. "Thanks for the ride today." "Goodnight, sweetheart," her mother replied, returning the hug. "Any time, honey, consider me your personal driver for now. haha!" Her mother laughed jokingly. With a concerned smirk, Lisa watched as her mother went to the couch, where she would sleep for the night. Once her mother was settled, Lisa headed to her own bedroom, feeling mixed emotions. Was my wish the cause of my mom's separation? On her way to her bedroom, Lisa passed by the bathroom and decided she should head there first, hoping to relieve herself before bed, even though she didn't feel the need to go. Luckily, to her surprise, she ended up peeing a ton from all of the fluids she had since having dinner. "Thank GOD! I better not need to pee so badly in the morning." Relieved, Lisa got up and headed to bed, the day's events weighing heavily on her. She lay awake for hours, her thoughts racing as she tried to make sense of everything that had happened. Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she drifted to sleep. Chapter 6: Nosy Mother With a groan, Lisa slowly blinked her eyes open, feeling surprisingly refreshed despite her troubled dreams. She stretched languidly, relishing the warmth of her bed for a few moments before reality came crashing back. As she swung her legs over the side of the bed, preparing to start her day, a sudden, urgent pressure gripped her bladder, causing her to freeze mid-stretch. Frustration and confusion warred within her as she realized she had just gone to the bathroom before bed and shouldn't be feeling such a strong urge to pee so soon. "Damnit," She cursed under her breath; she quickly scrambled to her feet, her muscles protesting the abrupt movement. She hurried out of her bedroom, intent on reaching the bathroom before it was too late. As she rushed down the hallway, the noise of her footsteps echoing in the early morning silence, she inadvertently woke her mother, who had been sleeping on the couch. Her mother stirred, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she sat up, concern etching lines of worry on her face. She watched Lisa disappear into the bathroom, her heart heavy with unspoken questions. She knew something was wrong, but she also knew that Lisa wasn't ready to talk about it yet. As Lisa closed the bathroom door behind her, she let out a frustrated sigh, her mind racing with confusion and fear. What was happening to her? Why did she keep experiencing these sudden, uncontrollable urges to pee? Lisa's heart pounded in her chest as she ran towards the toilet, her hand shaky for her worry of wetting herself again. With a desperate attempt, she grabbed the toilet seat to lift its lid, only for her worst fears to be realized. Hiissssss The pressure in her bladder had reached its breaking point, and before she could even get the seat up, she felt her body betray her, releasing a torrent of urine. Shame washed over her as she stood there, helplessly wetting herself, a pull-up miraculously appearing, absorbing the mess, leaving her pajama pants dry. With a defeated gasp, Lisa collapsed onto the tiled bathroom floor, feeling the soaked pull-up under her butt, bulky from absorbing all of her pee. There she sat next to the toilet, tears welling up in her eyes as frustration and embarrassment overwhelmed her. She hugged her knees to her chest, feeling utterly defeated by her body's betrayal yet again. The cool tiles starkly contrasted the warmth and wetness between her legs. Tears running down her cheeks as she realized the extent of her predicament. She was a grown woman, yet here she was, wearing a wet pull-up like a toddler. "Why does this keep happening to me?" she cried, her voice trembling. "It's not fair!" The sound of her voice echoed in the small bathroom, mixing with the soft hum of the ventilation fan overhead. When Lisa's mom heard her daughter cry out from the bathroom, she got up to check on her. "I'm too old for this," Lisa muttered bitterly, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "I shouldn't have to wear these stupid pull-ups like a child." Her mother knocked softly on the door, concern evident in her voice. "Lisa, dear, are you okay? Can I come in?" Lisa wiped her tears and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "I'm fine, Mom. Just... just give me a minute, okay?" She heard her mother's footsteps recede down the hallway, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She knew she couldn't keep hiding this from her mother, but she also didn't know how to explain what was happening to her. Lisa pushed herself up from the floor, her legs feeling weak and unsteady. She stumbled slightly, caught off guard by the weight of the sodden pull-up between her legs. With a shaky breath, she reached down and removed her pajama pants, revealing the bulky garment. Tears continued to flow from her eyes as she stripped off the pull-up, the cold air of the bathroom meeting her damp skin. She balled it up, a sense of shame washing over her as she tossed it into the trash can with a soft thud echoing in the small bathroom. Lisa quickly pulled her pajama pants back on, the fabric feeling soft and clingy against her skin. She hurried back to her room, her mind racing about how to handle the situation. She searched her dresser for a clean change of clothes and realized she needed to get laundry done; she only had two pairs of clean underwear left. Grabbing one of them, she rushed back out of her room towards the bathroom to shower and remove the smell of pee before speaking with her mom next. However, she was too late; as she approached the bathroom door, she was stunned to see it was already closed and locked from her mother going in there while she grabbed her clothes. *** Lisa's mom, Carol, stood outside the closed bathroom door. Concern for her daughter mingled with a growing sense of unease as she tried to make sense of the situation. She had heard Lisa's cries, and her instinct as a mother told her that something was seriously wrong. "I'm too old for this," she heard Lisa mutter. "I shouldn't have to wear these stupid pull-ups like a child." Carol hesitated, her hand hovering over the doorknob as she tried to process Lisa's words. Pull-ups? Why would Lisa be talking about wearing pull-ups? The confusion only added to Carol's growing concern, as she gently knocked on the door. "Lisa, dear, are you okay? Can I come in?" Carol called through the door, her voice laced with worry. There was a moment of silence before Lisa responded, her voice strained. "I'm fine, Mom, Just... just give me a minute, okay?" Carol hesitated, torn between respecting her daughter's privacy and wanting to comfort her. Ultimately, she decided to give Lisa the space she needed and stepped back from the door. As she waited outside the bathroom, Carol's mind raced with questions. What does she mean she is too old for this? Too old for what? Was she really wearing a pull-up? Before Carol could dwell on these thoughts any longer, she heard the sound of the bathroom door unlocking, followed by the soft click of its opening. Lisa stood in the doorway, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy from crying. Carol's heart broke at the sight of her daughter's anguish, and she longed to wrap her in a comforting embrace. But before Carol could say anything, Lisa rushed off to her room. Carol watched her daughter retreat down the hallway, a sense of helplessness washing over her. She knew she couldn't force Lisa to talk if she wasn't ready, but that didn't make it any easier to stand idly by while her daughter suffered. With a heavy sigh, Carol stepped into the bathroom, locking it behind her. Her eyes scanned the room for any sign of what had caused Lisa's distress. The air was thick with the scent of urine, and Carol wrinkled her nose in distaste as she made her way further into the room. Her gaze landed on the trash can near the sink, and her heart skipped a beat as she noticed the crumpled pull-up lying discarded inside. Carol's breath caught in her throat as she reached for the pull-up, her fingers trembling with disbelief. She lifted the pull-up from the trash can, her eyes widening in shock as she took in its sodden state. Clearly, this wasn't just a one-time accident; there were already two in the can. Lisa must have been wearing pull-ups for some time now. Why didn't she tell her mother? Have they grown more distant than she thought? Carol searched the bathroom, her heart pounding in her chest, her mind reeling with questions. She opened cabinets and drawers, looking for any sign of the package of pull-ups Lisa was using. But to her confusion, she found nothing. As Carol stood in the bathroom, her mind reeling with unanswered questions, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease settling in her stomach. She glanced around the room, her eyes scanning every corner in search of some clue that might shed light on the situation. But the bathroom offered no answers, only the lingering scent of urine. Her heart heavy with concern, Carol carefully placed the pull-up back into the trash can, her thoughts consumed by worry for her daughter. Lisa had always been independent and resilient, but seeing her distressed was tearing at Carol's maternal instincts. With a heavy sigh, Carol turned to leave the bathroom, her mind still racing about how to approach Lisa about what she had discovered. But before she could take a step, a sudden knock at the door startled her, causing her to jump in surprise. "Mom, are you almost done in there?" Lisa's voice came from the other side of the door, tinged with impatience. "I really need to take a shower." Carol's heart sank at the sound of Lisa's voice, the defeated tone in her voice only added to Carol's growing sense of worry. She had been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she hadn't even considered how her actions might affect Lisa. Now, feeling guilty for being the cause of slowing down Lisa's efforts to clean herself up from her accident this morning. "Sorry, sweetie, I'll be out in just a minute," Carol replied, her voice strained with emotion. She quickly moved to the toilet, her need to pee still present. As Carol relieved herself, her mind raced with thoughts of how to handle the situation with Lisa. She knew she needed to talk to her daughter about what she had discovered, but she also didn't want to invade Lisa's privacy or make her feel ashamed. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Carol finished her business and flushed the toilet, her thoughts still in turmoil as she washed her hands. She took a deep breath, trying to steel herself for the difficult conversation ahead, before finally opening the door and stepping out into the hallway. Lisa was waiting just outside the bathroom, her expression a mix of frustration and embarrassment as she watched her mother emerge. Carol's heart ached at seeing her daughter's troubled face, and she longed to wrap her in a comforting embrace. "I'm sorry for taking so long, sweetie," Carol said softly, gently touching Lisa's arm. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting." Lisa forced a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's okay, Mom. I just really need to take a shower." Carol nodded understandingly, stepping aside to let Lisa pass. As her daughter disappeared into the bathroom, Carol couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt gnawing at her conscience. She knew she couldn't avoid the conversation they needed to have, but she also didn't want to make things any harder for Lisa than they already were. Unsatisfied with the answers she had found so far, Carol turned to Lisa's room. As Carol entered Lisa's room, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach. She felt conflicted; she didn't want to invade her daughter's privacy, but she knew she needed to find some answers. With a heavy heart, she began to search the room, careful not to disturb anything from where it was. Her eyes scanned every corner in search of some clue that might shed light on the situation. As she opened drawers and checked closets, Carol's heart sank further. There was no sign of the package of pull-ups Lisa had been using, and only one pair of clean underwear was left in her daughter's drawer. Carol felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she concluded that Lisa must have been struggling with her bladder for a while now. With a sigh, Carol closed the drawer and turned to leave the room, her mind still racing with unanswered questions. She knew she needed to talk to Lisa about what was happening, but she also didn't want to make things any harder for her daughter than they already were. She just wanted to reassure her that it was alright and that she would be there for her. *** As Lisa stepped into the bathroom, a knot of anxiety twisted in her stomach. She couldn't shake the worry that her mother had seen the pull-ups in the trash. The thought made her heart race with panic, but she quickly pushed it aside, telling herself she was overthinking things. With trembling hands, Lisa quickly stripped off her pajamas and stepped into the warm embrace of the shower. The hot water cascaded over her body, washing away the physical evidence of her embarrassment. As she stood under the spray, lost in her thoughts, Lisa's phone buzzed on the bathroom counter, startling her out of her thoughts. Confused, she reached for it, her fingers struggling to unlock the screen from the shower's steam. A text from Craig flashed across the display, and Lisa's heart skipped a beat at the sight of his name. Despite everything that had happened, his message brought a small glimmer of comfort to her troubled mind. "Hey, babe. Just wanted to check in and see how you're doing. I know work has been crazy lately, but I'm here for you, okay? Let me know if you need anything. Love you ❤️" Tears pricked at the corners of Lisa's eyes as she read Craig's words. Despite the chaos around her, his unwavering support was a beacon of hope in the darkness. With a watery smile, Lisa quickly typed a reply, her thumbs flying across the screen. "Thanks, Craig. I really appreciate it. I've just been really busy lately and barely hit my deadline on Friday. But knowing you're there for me means the world. Love you too ❤️" As she hit send, a sense of relief washed over her. No matter the challenges, she knew she had people around her who cared about her. Craig, Sarah, and Mom would all be there for her. Even with that reassurance, Lisa felt a small pit in her stomach as she thought about what had happened with her mom and dad. Even if they are there for her now, what happens if she makes a foolish wish that ruins their life? Could she live with herself if that were to happen? Lisa pushed off her worries for now. She finished drying off, getting dressed in a checkered black and white skirt, a pair of nylons, and a white blouse with a jacket over the top. As she dressed, she couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety about meeting Sarah and revealing the truth about the magic bracelet. But she knew she needed to confide in her friend; she couldn't keep this secret to herself. Sarah was the perfect person to confide in. Sarah had always been a good listener and had a knack for offering practical advice. With a deep breath, Lisa grabbed her phone and sent Sarah a text message asking her to meet at a local coffee shop. She hoped that Sarah would be able to help her navigate the chaos that had become her life ever since she had received the bracelet. As Lisa exited the bathroom, her heart raced with the fear of encountering her mother, her mind still reeling from the morning's events. She clutched the trash can tightly, determined to dispose of the evidence of her accidents before her mom could find them. She didn't want anything else to complicate her already chaotic situation. However, as she made her way down the hallway, trying to keep her footsteps as quiet as possible, Lisa froze in her tracks as she heard her mother's voice from the living room. "Lisa, honey, wait." Carol's gentle tone sent a shiver down Lisa's spine, and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She couldn't face her mother right now, not with the shame of her secret weighing heavily in her hand in the trash can. But before Lisa could retreat outside to dispose of the evidence, Carol appeared in the hallway, her expression a mix of concern and confusion as she approached her daughter. "Sweetie, are you okay?" Carol asked, her voice soft and gentle. "I saw you rush into the bathroom earlier in a hurry, and... well, I just want to make sure you're alright?" Lisa's heart clenched at the worry in her mother's eyes, and she swallowed hard, trying to find the right words to say. She couldn't bear to lie to her mother, not when she had always been there for her, but she also couldn't bring herself to admit the truth about the magic bracelet. "I'm fine, Mom," Lisa replied, forcing a smile despite the turmoil inside her. "Just... you know, when you gotta go, you gotta go." Carol studied her daughter's face for a moment, her brow furrowed with concern, before nodding slowly. "Alright, if you say so, sweetie," she said, though her voice was tinged with uncertainty. "Maybe try going before going to bed next time. haha," She laughed, trying to joke and lighten the mood. Lisa's face blushed a slightly brighter red. "Yeah, I tried that last night, but it didn't work as well as I hoped. Honestly, I wish I didn't have to pee so bad when I woke up. haha," Lisa tried joking back in hopes of keeping her mom off the trail of what was really going on. As if this was a totally normal thing for her to deal with. "Right?! I guess I can relate to that." Carol replied, trying to ease up the embarrassment she saw she was indirectly causing. "Are you taking out the trash?" she asked, her curiosity piqued, trying to change the subject. Lisa's cheeks now burned with embarrassment as she realized she had been caught in the act. "Uh, yeah," she stammered, her mind racing for an excuse. "I... I just noticed it was getting full, so I thought I'd take care of it." "Do you mind taking out this bag with you? I would have done it sooner, but I didn't know where the bins are here," she said, pointing to the bag she had from the day before, leaning up against the door. "Sure, I can do that," Lisa replied, quickly grabbing the bag and trying to run out the door before her mom could see what was in the trash bin in her hand. "Is there anything you need, sweetie? I was about to head out to the store, so if you need anything, just let me know." Carol asked her daughter, curious if she would admit to needing more pull-ups. Lisa's heart skipped a beat, worried her mom might have seen the pull-ups and assumed she needed more. "Uh, no, Mom, I'm good," she replied quickly, her mind racing for an excuse. "But... um, actually, I was planning to meet Sarah for coffee later. Do you think you could give me a ride?" Carol's expression was soft, nodding with a smile. "Of course, sweetie," she said. "I'd be happy to give you a ride. Just let me know when you're ready to go, okay?" Lisa's heart swelled with gratitude for her mother's support. "Thanks, Mom," she said, her voice lighter than before, as she felt a weight removed, hoping things were more normal. "You're the best." With a final smile, Carol turned and headed back to the living room, leaving Lisa alone in the hallway with a sense of relief washing over her. She knew she couldn't keep hiding the truth from her mother forever, but for now, she was grateful for the chance to spend time with her friend and get the trash out before her mom could try to confront her about the pull-ups. Chapter 7: Coffee Date The coffee shop came into view as Carol's car pulled up to the curb. People were bustling in and out of the coffee shop, seemingly in a hurry to get wherever they were going. Lisa's stomach fluttered with nervous anticipation as she glanced out the window. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the conversation she knew she was about to have. As the car came to a stop, Lisa started to exit the car; Carol's gentle voice interrupted her, concern etched in every line of her face. "Are you sure you don't need anything from the store? I can pick up anything you might need?" Carol's offer carried a note of worry, her hope that her daughter would open up about her needs. Lisa forced a smile, trying to reassure her mother. "No, Mom, I'm good, really. I have everything I need." But before she can fully step out, Carol's concern spills over into another question, one Lisa had hoped to avoid. "When are you planning on seeing the doctor? It has me worried about you." Lisa felt a pang of defensiveness rise within her. It's not that she doesn't appreciate her mother's concern; it's just that she's too embarrassed about the situation to want to bring it up with someone else. She hardly wanted to talk to Sarah about it, but they'd been best friends for years now, and the number of times she's had to help Sarah get home after getting too tipsy at a club and wetting herself, she knew Sarah would be the last person to judge her about this situation. "I'll get to it, Mom, I promise," Lisa replies, trying to strike a balance between reassurance and deflection. "But honestly, I'm feeling fine today. Really." Carol's worry hardly dissipates, but she nods reluctantly, knowing when her daughter is putting up walls. "Okay, honey. I'm here for you if you need anything." Lisa nods, offering another weak smile before finally leaving the car. As she watches Carol drive away, she can't shake the guilt that twists in her gut. She knows her mother only wants to help her, but opening up about the reality of her situation is a hurdle she's not quite ready to jump yet, at least not with her mom. As Lisa stepped into the coffee shop, she scanned the area and spotted Sarah sitting at their usual table near a window at the front of the shop, a warm smile on her face. Lisa felt a sense of relief wash over her; Sarah's presence always brought comfort, especially in times of uncertainty. Approaching the table, Lisa noticed that Sarah had already ordered her favorite coffee—a small gesture that meant more to her than she could express. "Hey, Sarah," Lisa greeted her friend with a grateful smile as she took a seat opposite her. "Hey, Lisa! I got your usual, hope that's alright," Sarah said, sliding the cup across the table. "How's your day been so far?" Taking a sip of her coffee, Lisa sighed, feeling the tension of the day slowly melting away. "It's been... eventful, to say the least," she replied, her thoughts briefly flickering back to her urgent need for the bathroom this morning and the pull-ups she ended up throwing out after having another accident. Sarah raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to Lisa's day than she was letting on, but she decided not to press, as she seemed a little distressed. "Well, you made it through the week in one piece. That's always a win," she remarked with a playful grin. "Yeah, barely," Lisa chuckled, grateful for Sarah's light-hearted approach. "Any exciting plans for the weekend?" The two friends engaged in some light small talk while sipping away at their favorite drinks. Discussing their respective Fridays and plans for the weekend. Sarah mentioned a new movie that was coming out and suggested they go see it together. "That sounds like fun! I'd love to see it with you," Lisa said, genuinely looking forward to spending more time with her friend. Sarah, ever perceptive, remembered seeing Carol was the one to drop her off. "We should look at show times later. I also noticed that your mom dropped you off today. Is everything okay with her?" she asked gently, her eyes filled with concern. Lisa hesitated, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts. Should she tell Sarah about the bracelet and its wishes? Would Sarah even believe her? She knew how crazy it all sounded, and the last thing she wanted was for Sarah to think she had lost her mind. As she debated internally, Sarah's voice broke through her thoughts. "Lisa, you know you can tell me anything, right? I'm here for you, no matter what." Taking a deep breath, Lisa weighed her options. On one hand, keeping everything bottled up inside was taking its toll on her mental health, and she longed for someone to confide in. On the other hand, the risk of rejection and judgment was almost too much to bear. Sarah's concerned gaze met Lisa's, and she felt a flicker of hope ignite within her. Maybe, just maybe, Sarah would understand. Maybe she'd even believe her. "I... I don't even know where to begin," Lisa started, her voice barely above a whisper. She fidgeted with her coffee cup, unable to meet Sarah's gaze. Sarah reached across the table, placing a reassuring hand on Lisa's trembling fingers. "You can tell me anything, Lisa. I'm here for you." The words hung in the air, heavy with promise and acceptance. With a shaky breath, Lisa mustered the courage to speak, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I know this is going to sound absolutely insane, but... but something bizarre has been happening to me lately," she began, her voice gaining strength with each word. "I... I've been making these... wishes, and they've been coming true. It's like magic or something, I don't know." She braced herself for Sarah's reaction, steeling herself for disbelief or mockery. But to her surprise, Sarah simply nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Go on," Sarah encouraged, her tone gentle yet unwavering. Lisa began recounting the events of the past few days—the mysterious package, the bracelet, the note. "It grants wishes, but not in the way you'd expect," Lisa explained, trying to find the right words to describe the inexplicable nature of the bracelet's powers. "I didn't believe it at first. I only put it on in the first place because I thought it was cute, but then... things started happening." She explained her experiences with the bracelet, from her wishing to no longer need to ride the bus and how her mom called shortly after, only to find out her mom and dad were separating. Sarah listened intently, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief at the news about Lisa's parents. As Sarah listened to Lisa's recounting of the events surrounding the mysterious bracelet, her initial expression of shock slowly transitioned into a more skeptical demeanor. She furrowed her brows, processing the information, but there was a glimmer of concern underlying her reaction. "I don't know, Lisa," Sarah starts cautiously, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "I mean, it's definitely... a strange coincidence, but... magic bracelets? That's a bit... out there, don't you think?" Lisa's heart sinks as she registers Sarah's disbelief. She had hoped that confiding in her friend would provide some relief, but instead, she feels a sense of isolation deepen within her. She opens her mouth to protest, to insist that it's all true, but Sarah's next words catch her off guard. "I'm really sorry to hear about your mom, Lisa," Sarah says, her tone softening with genuine sympathy. "That's a lot to deal with, especially on top of everything else you've been going through." Lisa's breath catches in her throat, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "Th-thanks," Lisa manages to choke out, her voice wavering with emotion. "It's been... rough, I... I just don't know how to process what is going on right now." Sarah nods understandingly, reaching across the table to squeeze Lisa's hand in a comforting gesture. "I can only imagine," she murmurs, her gaze filled with compassion. As the weight of the conversation hangs heavy in the air, Lisa wrestles with the urge to divulge the full extent of the bracelet's powers. She knows it sounds absurd, even to her own ears, but a part of her longs for Sarah to believe her, to validate her and the events happening to her. Before she can gather the courage to speak. However, a sudden pressure builds in her bladder, cutting through her thoughts with urgent intensity. Panic floods her senses as she realizes she's moments away from having another accident. "I... I need to use the bathroom," Lisa blurted out, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Sorry, I'll be right back." Sarah's concern flared anew at Lisa's abrupt announcement, her brows knitting together in worry. "Are you okay? You seem... flustered." Lisa shook her head, her mind racing with anxiety. "I'll explain everything, I promise. Just... just give me a minute." Without waiting for Sarah's response, Lisa rose from her seat, her heart pounding. She knew she had to do something to prove the bracelet's magic to Sarah, to make her believe. Then, suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She was about to have an accident, which meant her underwear would change into a pull-up again. She could show Sarah her underwear and then have an accident, and they'll transform. Sarah would have to believe her at that point! "Come with me," Lisa urged, her voice tinged with urgency. "I'll show you." Confusion flickered across Sarah's features, but she rose from her seat nonetheless, her concern for Lisa outweighing her bewilderment. "Okay?" As they made their way to the bathroom, Lisa's mind raced with a thousand thoughts, her determination bolstered by the knowledge that she was about to reveal the truth to Sarah. She knew it wouldn't be easy, that Sarah might still doubt her even after witnessing the bracelet's magic firsthand. But she couldn't let that stop her. She had to make Sarah understand, to believe her. Pushing open the door to the bathroom, Lisa gestured for Sarah to follow her inside. "Watch," she instructed, her voice tinged with excitement and trepidation. "I'll prove it's not just random coincidences." Lisa's heart pounded as she led Sarah into the bathroom, her mind racing with the gravity of what she was about to reveal. She could feel Sarah's skeptical and confused gaze burning into the back of her head, but she refused to let doubt cloud her determination. As they entered the bathroom, Lisa's hands trembled slightly as she reached for the hem of her skirt. With a deep breath, she lifted it up, exposing her panties to Sarah's bewildered gaze. "Look," Lisa urged, her voice tight with urgency. "I'm not crazy. My underwear will turn into a pull-up if I... if I..." Her words trailed off as panic surged through her, her bladder protesting with increasing urgency. Desperately, she tried to hold back the inevitable, her muscles straining against the overwhelming pressure. As Lisa stood there, her eyes squeezed shut in a mix of desperation and embarrassment, Sarah's expression shifted from confusion to shock. "Lisa, what are you doing? Use the toilet!" Sarah's voice was filled with a mix of disbelief and worry as she took a step closer, reaching out as if to offer support. "I-I'm sorry," Lisa stammered, her voice strained with effort. "I just... I need you to believe me. Please, just watch." With a deep breath, Lisa forced herself to relax, letting go of the last shreds of control she had over her bladder. Silence hung in the air, broken only by the sound of urine hitting the floor and pooling below her. Nothing happened. There was no magical transformation, no pull-up appearing to save her from the humiliating accident she had just experienced. Instead, Lisa felt the warm, wet sensation spreading down her legs, the sign of the bracelet's magic taunting her. Why didn't it work? Her eyes snapped open in horror, tears welling up as she looked down at the puddle forming at her feet. She had hoped that the bracelet's magic would somehow prove her right, but all it had done was leave her feeling stupid, foolish, and extremely embarrassed in front of her closest friend. Sarah's gasp of shock was the only sound in the bathroom as she took in the scene before her. She could hardly believe what she was seeing, her mind struggling to make sense of the surreal situation unfolding in front of her. "L-Lisa... what just happened?" Sarah's voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes wide with disbelief. Lisa could only hang her head in defeat, unable to find the words to explain. She felt a wave of shame wash over her, knowing that she had proven nothing and now probably seemed even crazier to Sarah than before. Now, feeling like she had just lost all sense of reality. "I-I'm so sorry, Sarah," Lisa choked out, her voice trembling with emotion. "I thought... I just thought if you saw it, you'd believe me about the bracelet. But I was wrong. I was so wrong." Sarah's expression softened with genuine concern as she stepped forward, reaching out to gently touch Lisa's trembling shoulder. "Hey, it's okay," she said, her voice filled with compassion. "Accidents happen, you know? I mean, how many times did you help me out at the club?" But despite Sarah's words of comfort, Lisa couldn't shake the crushing weight of her embarrassment. She felt like a total idiot for doing this on purpose in front of someone. Why didn't she think of a better way to prove the bracelet's magic? With a shaky breath, she stepped back from the puddle to see the damage that was done. "I... I think I just need a moment," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. Sarah nodded understandingly, her concern etched in every line of her face. "Of course, take all the time you need. I'll be right outside if you need anything." Sarah quietly exited the bathroom, leaving Lisa alone with her shame. Lisa sat down, wondering if she could ever face her friend again. The weight of her humiliation threatened to overwhelm her with tears. How could she even bring herself to step out and face Sarah again? Chapter 8: Shopping As Carol navigated the familiar streets to the store, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Lisa. She couldn't shake the worry that lingered since her daughter had started acting strangely, especially after finding those pull-ups in the trash. Pulling into the grocery store's parking lot, Carol grabbed her list and headed inside. The store was bustling with activity, shoppers weaving in and out of aisles, their carts filled with the week's necessities. Carol couldn't help but overhear bits of conversation from nearby shoppers as she wandered through the aisles. Seeing one little girl ask her mom to use the potty while doing a potty dance only exaggerated her thoughts about Lisa and her close calls. Pushing her cart along, Carol collected different items on her list, her thoughts drifting back to Lisa. She had always been a bit of a worrier, but lately, it seemed like something more was weighing on her daughter. Carol glanced down at her list, her eyes catching on the item with a question mark next to it: "Pull-ups?" She furrowed her brow, a knot of worry tightening in her stomach as she considered the implications. Should she really be contemplating buying pull-ups for Lisa? Would that be crossing a line? Would Lisa appreciate the fact she didn't have to ask? With a sigh, Carol pushed her cart forward, weaving through the bustling aisles of the grocery store. As she passed by the baby care section, she couldn't help but steal a glance at the pull-up packages on the shelves. She scanned them, trying to match the design she vaguely remembered from the discarded pull-ups at home. There were dozens of different styles and brands. But it had to be here somewhere. The ones in the trash were rather childish, nothing like a grown-up would wear or what you could get at the pharmacy. Carol's steps slowed as she approached the baby care section, her eyes scanning the shelves for any hint of familiarity. She felt a pang of guilt for even considering buying pull-ups for Lisa without her consent. But the worry gnawing at her heart was too strong to ignore. She began to sift through the various packages, her eyes tracing over the different designs and sizes. None of them seemed to match what she vaguely remembered from the discarded pull-ups at home. She let out a frustrated sigh, feeling lost in a sea of unfamiliar products. "Excuse me, ma'am, can I help you find something?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. Carol looked up to see a store employee with a friendly smile. "Oh, um, yes, I'm looking for pull-ups," Carol replied, feeling a flush of embarrassment. The employee nodded. "Sure, what size are you looking for?" Carol hesitated, unsure of how to answer. She didn't want to reveal too much about her daughter's situation to a stranger. "Um, I'm not exactly sure. I think for some older kids?" The employee nodded understandingly and led Carol to a different section of the aisle, where the bedwetting pull-ups were stored. Carol's heart sank as she realized the gravity of the situation. How had Lisa ended up needing pull-ups? Was it a medical issue? Or was there something else going on that she didn't know about? With a heavy heart, Carol thanked the employee for the help. Staring at the package of the same pull-ups she saw in the trash, she felt torn. Should she pick them up? It seemed like Lisa was out of them at home, or at least she couldn't find any of them. Would buying them only embarrass Lisa more? Carol shook her head, trying to push aside her growing concern. She continued down the aisles, methodically ticking off the remaining items from her list, but her mind kept returning to Lisa and the pull-ups. Maybe she should pick them up just in case? The worst case scenario is she totally misread the situation and can just return them, and the two of them will laugh about this one day. Torn, Carol returned to the baby care aisle, selected a package that seemed to match the ones she had seen at home. Finally, with her cart filled and her list completed, Carol made her way to the checkout counter. As she waited in line, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was invading her daughter's privacy in a way she never had before. She began to unload her groceries onto the conveyor belt. But she couldn't shake feeling embarrassed for her daughter as she placed the package of overnight pull-ups on the belt. Her cheeks blushed lightly at the thought that she was buying these for her adult daughter. As Carol finished placing the last of her items on the belt she felt her phone buzz in her purse. She fished it out and saw a message from Sarah, Lisa's close friend. The message caught her off guard, and she quickly glanced around to ensure no one was looking over her shoulder as she read it, briefly looking at the pack of pull-ups before opening the text. "Hey Carol, wanted to give you a heads up. I'm gonna take Lisa over to my place for a bit, and then we're gonna catch a movie. So don't wait up for us, I'll drop her off at home later. Let us know if you need anything." Carol's heart skipped a beat with relief as she read the message. She felt slightly concerned for her daughter, for not being able to get her to the doctor today; feeling she should have been more adamant about it. But it is nice to hear Lisa is getting some girl time in. Carol quickly sent a thumbs-up emoji, and paid for her items brushing off the embarrassment about buying pull-ups. She doesn't have to have a direct conversation with Lisa about them now, or at least for a little while. Carol drove back to the apartment. On the drive, she began to think about what she should do with the pack of pull-ups. Should she leave it on the table for them to talk about when she gets home? No. That would be a bad idea, what if Sarah comes in to chat? Then, it would be on full display. What about her bedroom? Sarah wasn't likely to go in there. But what if Lisa brings back a guy? It would be a little awkward with her mom there, but it would be even worse if he saw a pack of bedwetting diapers on her bed. Then, it struck her. Duh, I can just leave them in her underwear drawer. No guy will go in there unless he is a creep, and if that's the case then they aren't meant to be anyway. When she arrived home, Carol rushed to bring in everything. As Carol brought the groceries inside, she couldn't shake off the weight of concern that had settled in her chest since finding those pull-ups in the trash. She made multiple trips from the car to the apartment, each time feeling the pull of worry tugging at her thoughts. Finally, with everything brought in, Carol began sorting through the bags to find the pull-ups. She located them nestled among the groceries and pulled them out, feeling a sense of apprehension. She knew she needed to talk to Lisa about them, but the right opportunity hadn't presented itself yet. With the package of pull-ups in hand, Carol made her way towards Lisa's room. She hesitated at the doorway, her mind racing with uncertainties. How would Lisa react to finding them? Would she be upset? Embarrassed? Would she even understand why Carol had bought them? Pushing aside her doubts, Carol stepped into Lisa's room and began searching through her stuff again, hoping to find a pack of pull-ups that were just well hidden. But no matter how hard she tried, she kept coming up empty-handed. She even pulled out the drawers to see if Lisa had hidden them behind the drawers but turned up nothing. Where was she keeping them? After a lot of rummaging, she finally gave up, opting to leave the pull-ups – tucked away in Lisa's underwear drawer. It seemed like the most discreet option, ensuring they would be there when Lisa needed them without drawing unnecessary attention. As Carol placed the package in the drawer, her fingers brushed against something else – a small box containing a note. Curiosity piqued, she picked up the box and examined its contents. The note inside caught her eye, and she read it over carefully, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Is this some kind of joke?" Carol muttered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief. The idea of a magical bracelet granting wishes seemed too absurd to be true. Without giving it a second thought, she left Lisa's room in a state close to its original so as not to raise suspicion. Chapter 9: What are Friends for? As Lisa gingerly inspected her skirt, relief flooded her when she realized the fabric hadn't visibly betrayed her humiliating accident. With a shaky sigh, she began to peel off her wet underwear, her cheeks burning with embarrassment at the mess she had made. Not wanting to stay in urine-soaked underwear or have any way to carry them out of the bathroom without it being clearly visible, Lisa opted to dispose of the soiled garment. Lisa grabbed some paper towels, used them to dry off her legs, and tossed several on the floor to help mop up the puddle she had created. Not wanting to leave a mess for the staff to clean. She quickly used her feet to mop up the evidence of her mishap the best she could before she disposed of the soaked paper towels; luckily, they also helped to bury her underwear sitting in the trash can. Just as she was beginning to regain some composure, a gentle knock sounded on the bathroom door, causing Lisa's heart to skip a beat, freezing her in her tracks. "Lisa? Are you okay in there?" Sarah's voice was filled with concern, muffled by the closed door. Lisa's heart eased with gratitude at the sound of her friend's voice. Despite her mortification, she couldn't help but feel warmth at Sarah's support. Lisa called out, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. Her voice was slightly hoarse from the lingering embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just... just give me a minute, okay?" There was a brief pause, followed by the sound of the doorknob turning as Sarah pushed open the door, her concerned gaze meeting Lisa's. "I brought you something," Sarah said softly, holding out a rolled-up fabric bundle. I keep a new pack of underwear in my car for emergencies, and I thought you might appreciate a pair ." Lisa's eyes widened in surprise as she accepted the offering, touched by Sarah's thoughtfulness despite the situation's awkwardness. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice choked with emotion. "I... I really appreciate it." Sarah smiled sympathetically, her eyes warm with understanding. "No problem. We've all been there, right?" As Lisa quickly changed into dry underwear, a sense of gratitude washed over her. She felt so lucky to have a friend like Sarah in her life—someone who didn't judge her for the awkward moment she had just put her friend through, someone who just so happened to be ready for something like this to happen, someone who she could talk to, to get her thoughts, fears, and secrets out to. "Looks like you've got everything taken care of," Sarah remarked, breaking the silence as Lisa finished changing. "Yeah, thanks to you," Lisa replied, smiling gratefully at her friend. They stood there momentarily, the weight of the situation still hanging in the air. Lisa felt the urge to make another wish, to undo everything that had happened, but she hesitated. She remembered what happened with her mom. What unforeseen consequence would happen with a wish to undo something already done? She couldn't risk making things worse. Sarah must have sensed her friend's turmoil because she spoke up. "Hey, why don't you come over to my place? You can take a shower and relax for a bit. Maybe it'll help clear your mind." Lisa appreciated the offer and nodded, relieved to escape her apartment and her mom for a while. "That sounds really nice, actually. Thank you." As they left the bathroom and headed towards the exit, Lisa couldn't shake the feeling of unease. She knew she had to be careful with the bracelet and its wishes, but she couldn't ignore the temptation to use it again. The power it held was both alluring and terrifying. Once they were in Sarah's car, Lisa glanced at the bracelet on her wrist, feeling conflicted. She thought about wishing to undo everything that had happened, to erase the embarrassment and the mess. But something held her back. She couldn't shake the feeling that using the bracelet again would only lead to more trouble. Sarah tried to distract Lisa from what happened. "Hey, I've done it a thousand times," she said, trying to ease Lisa's embarrassment. "Don't sweat it. We all have our moments." Lisa nodded, grateful for Sarah's understanding. She couldn't shake off the embarrassment, but Sarah's reassurance helped. "I just wish this whole thing hadn't happened," Lisa muttered, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. "That was the most embarrassing thing ever." Sarah comforted her friend, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I know it feels like a big deal now, but trust me, we'll laugh about this one day. In the meantime, let's hit the road to my place so you can get that shower. And hey, we can still go see that movie we talked about if you're up for it." Lisa managed a weak smile, grateful for Sarah's friendship. "Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks." As they drove to Sarah's place, Lisa couldn't help but wonder why nothing had happened. She made a wish, just like she had done with not wanting to ride the bus. Only nothing changed. She was still embarrassed about what happened. She was still in Sarah's car, still wearing different underwear than when she started the day. She stared at the bracelet momentarily, frustrated that it refused to work how she thought it would. It didn't protect her from peeing herself; it got her mom in a separation, and now it was ignoring her. This thing is a curse! As they arrived at Sarah's place, Lisa felt a mix of relief and lingering embarrassment. The short ride had provided a small respite from the day's events, but she knew she couldn't escape them entirely. Sarah's apartment building was familiar yet unfamiliar, a place Lisa had never visited despite their close friendship. Sarah led the way, her steps brisk as they ascended the stairs to her apartment. Lisa followed, her mind still reeling from the day's events. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease, the nagging suspicion that the bracelet on her wrist was more trouble than it was worth. Inside Sarah's apartment, Lisa took in her surroundings with curiosity. The space was cozy and inviting, filled with warmth and a comforting home scent. Sarah gestured for Lisa to make herself comfortable as she disappeared into another room, returning with a bundle of clothes moments later. "Here you go," Sarah said, offering Lisa the clothes with a sympathetic smile. "I grabbed you some clean clothes and a towel. The bathroom's right through there." Lisa accepted the clothes gratefully, feeling grateful for her friend's kindness. "Thanks." Once inside the bathroom, Lisa hesitated momentarily, her fingers trembling as she reached for the hem of her shirt. She paused, her reflection staring back at her with a mix of uncertainty and resignation. How had her life come to this? Soiling herself as if she couldn't control it. She never imagined herself in a situation quite like this. All of this chaos in her life, all of it because of a cursed bracelet? Shaking off the thoughts, Lisa focused, quickly undressing until she was just in her underwear. She stared at herself in the mirror, the image reflecting back at her a stark reminder. She couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu wash over her. She had been in this situation before, just a few days ago when she got the bracelet. She stood in the bathroom staring at her reflection looking at a wet pull-up she was wearing. Here she was again. Having had an accident, only this time, she was in underwear. The pull-up, no-where to be seen. Just as Lisa was about to step into the shower, Sarah's voice interrupted her thoughts from outside the bathroom door. "Hey, I'm going to order some takeout. If there's anything specific you want, just text it to me. Otherwise, I'm just going to get some Chinese food." "Sounds good! Thanks." Lisa called back, her voice brimming with gratitude. As she stepped into the shower, the warm water cascading over her body, Lisa couldn't help but feel relief washing over her. The day's events seemed to fade away if only for a moment, replaced by a fleeting sense of peace. She was grateful for the opportunity to wash away her shameful moment, leaving it in the past. Once she had finished showering and dried off, Lisa dressed in the clothes Sarah had left for her, feeling grateful for her friend's kindness. Not only was she understanding, but she was also being overly generous. Sarah gave her a pair of brand new underwear again, a pair of sweat pants, and a large hoodie—the perfect comfort clothes to combat the stressful day she had had so far. As Lisa emerged from the bathroom, Sarah greeted her with a warm smile. "Feeling better?" Lisa nodded, her spirits lifted by the comfort of her friend's presence. "Yeah, thanks to you." Sarah smiled, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "Anytime, Lisa. That's what friends are for." Lisa and Sarah settled in to enjoy their takeout, the tension of the day began to melt away. They chatted and laughed; Lisa told Sarah about her date with Craig tomorrow. Excited to be able to see him again and enjoy a nice meal with him. The comfort of their friendship eased Lisa's earlier embarrassment. Lisa felt grateful for Sarah's understanding and support, her worries about her accident and the pull-ups momentarily forgotten in the warmth of the evening. As they finished their meal, Sarah glanced at the clock and frowned. "We should probably head out soon if we want to make it to the movie on time," she said, double-checking the time on her phone. Lisa nodded, a sense of unease creeping back into her mind. She knew she had no way of controlling the bracelet's magic. Not yet, at least. Not wanting to embarrass herself any more than she already had, she knew she needed to use the bathroom before they left. She couldn't risk ruining Sarah's clothes or embarrassing herself again. "I just need to use the bathroom real quick," Lisa said, trying to sound casual despite her nerves. She didn't feel the need to go, but waiting until she needed to go hasn't been working out the best for her lately. "I'll meet you by the door." "Take your time, Lisa. We're in no rush." As Lisa entered the bathroom, she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that washed over her. She stared at herself in the mirror, the worried look in her reflection a stark reminder of the day's events. She couldn't let another accident happen, not now. Taking a deep breath, Lisa moved herself over to the toilet and sat on it. She tried as hard as she could to relax and let herself go. She couldn't feel any sensation that it was working. It was like her body had chosen to ignore her completely now. Suddenly, she heard the splashing water and a stream running. She let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she could get through the rest of the day without further embarrassment. She knew she still had to be careful with the bracelet, especially now that its magic had been confirmed and seemed unpredictable. She couldn't risk trusting it to replace her underwear and prevent an accident. After using the bathroom, Lisa took a moment to compose herself, her mind racing with thoughts of the bracelet and its powers. She couldn't help but feel a sense of regret for ever putting it on, for ever making those wishes. But she also knew she couldn't change the past. All she could do now was be cautious and hope for the best. As she rejoined Sarah in the living room, Lisa forced a smile, trying to push aside her lingering worries. "Ready to go?" Sarah nodded, standing up from the couch. "Yeah, let's go."

Hello everyone, and welcome to my 2nd ever story. This one came to me pretty quickly. As always, constructive criticism is welcome. Comments welcome. Diapers from the start on this one. Chapter 1: Anxiety Jimmy was having that dream again. As he lay sweating in his bed, his eyes continuously darted back and forth beneath his eyelids. He moved restlessly under the covers. It was his most frequent dream, the one that was more of a memory than an actual dream. The one he wished he could forget. In his dream, he was six again, walking home from the bus stop. The afternoon heat was in full effect, causing sweat to run down the small of his back, and a quick wipe of his forehead with the back of his hand. As he approached the front door of his house, he could see that the sun was at just the right angle to shine through the multicolored pattern built into the top of the wooden door. The refracted light on the carpet of the living room looked like a rainbow. In his dream, he had just walked in the front door, his mother’s imposing figure coming into view as he pushed the door open fully. His mother stood there, waiting for him, tapping her foot in annoyance. Before he could even get out so much as a “Hi Mom!”, his backpack was removed, and his pants pulled around his ankles. In one swift motion, his mother took him over her knee and told him off for misbehaving again. What had his crime been? His Mother informed him that his aim during his morning pee had been poor, and he’d splashed a bit onto the floor. As his mother’s firm hand struck his quickly reddening behind, his mother was extolling the virtues of cleanliness to him. In his dream, Jimmy was crying, promising to do better next time, to keep the bathroom clean. After a good twenty spanks, she set him back on his feet and pulled his pants back up. Stepping back from Jimmy, she pointed at the small amount of dirt he had tracked inside and told him to clean it up. He didn’t say a word and walked over to the laundry room where the mop and bucket lived. He cleaned the entire entrance until it was spotless. The blue and white tiling of the front entrance was once again sparkling clean, so clean you could see your face if you looked close enough. His mandated cleaning completed, the bucket was emptied, the mop returned, and the sink was sprayed down. Satisfied that her floor once again was clean enough to eat off, she grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him to his room. Struggling to keep up with her pace, Jimmy jogged behind his Mom as she took him to the space underneath the stairs where he slept. Pulling down his pants revealed his wet pull-up. With machine-like efficiency, she removed it, wiped his privates and bum, and pulled up the fresh, clean one. A quick sprinkle of baby powder down the front, and she was done. The whole time, she was reminding him that things must always be perfect, always be clean. The final knife in the barrage of insults was her chastising him for still wetting his pants like a baby. Now clean and dry, he was told to sit down and play quietly. She had several videos to film, and he had already put her behind schedule. He stepped into the small space that was his bedroom and heard the door close, the lock sliding into place. Jimmy was in the dark, all before he could even sit down. Blindly waving his hand in the air, he attempted to grasp the string that he needed to illuminate his room. After a few empty swipes, he finally caught the string in his hand. Wrapping his small hand around the string, he pulled the string of the one light that illuminated his space. The sudden burst of light caused him to cover his eyes in slight pain. The light flash faded to black, and as he returned to consciousness, the morning rays peered through his curtains and right onto his face. Opening his eyes and rubbing eye crusties out, Jimmy gave a big morning stretch and a yawn as he began to move from underneath his covers. The familiar crinkle of his plastic sheets and the taped disposable medical brief around his waist didn’t even register with him anymore. He put his hand on the crotch of his taped disposable brief, and as usual, it was soaked. Jimmy gave a resigned sigh at the familiar feeling of a soaked brief (he refused to call them diapers, his ego had taken enough blows). Trudging from his bedroom to the bathroom just across the hall, he closed the door and pulled the shower curtain closed. As he turned the hot water knob, he heard the familiar groaning sound as water ran through the apartment’s pipes and into his shower. He didn’t have to wait for the water to warm up. His apartment complex was practically brand new, but out of habit, he waited for the water to warm. Jimmy used this warm-up time to grab his towel and washcloth, making sure it was a clean one. Mist was just starting to spill over from the shower as he turned to the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door and sighed at what stared back at him. Nothing about the image staring back at him made him happy. Staring at the slowly fogging mirror was a short twenty-two-year-old man, five feet five inches tall according to his driver's license, but he had worn lifts that day to ensure it. His body was skinny and underdeveloped physically. His body hair was hard to see as it was barely darker than the light blonde hair on his head. He usually kept his hair high and tight. He regarded his youthful face and the distinct lack of stubble on it. Even if he tried to grow a beard, it took forever, came in patchy, and looked awful. Between his legs sagged the well-used medical brief, which was one of the great sources of shame for Jimmy. You would think that after a lifetime of bedwetting, he wouldn’t care so much, but he couldn’t help it. To him, it was just another flaw, just another reason that he would always be alone and never find someone to love him. The mirror was now completely fogged up from the steam, so he quickly removed the tapes of his sodden brief before wrapping it up tight and putting it in the trash can. Stepping into the hot shower, he began to wash off last night’s shame from his body. He thoroughly scrubbed himself with body wash and a washcloth. Scrubbing away any hint of urine that could follow him into the office this morning. Stepping out of the shower and toweling himself off, he slapped on some deodorant. Smelling fresh, Jimmy made his way, towel wrapped around his waist, to the bedroom portion of his studio apartment. The indented space was full of shelves and metal rods running horizontally at varying levels. All of his clothes were neatly hung by a series of identical white plastic coat hangers on the lower bars, and to reach the top shelf, he needed a step stool. To the left was a bag of absorbent pull-on briefs silently mocking him. Grabbing a fresh one from the package, he carefully stepped into the briefs and pulled them into place. Next to the bag of briefs is a large bottle of talcum powder. Turning the lid of the container, Jimmy pulled out the front of his brief and dusted himself with a liberal amount of talcum powder. Jimmy was just glad it was Friday. Friday meant he didn’t have to be in uniform at the call center today. Casual Friday, really just means a Polo Shirt and sneakers. It really wasn’t that different from the button-up shirt and dress shoes he wore the rest of the week. He selected his favorite solid navy blue Polo shirt and grey dress slacks from their hangers, and threaded his black slide buckle belt through the loops of his pants. Now clothed, he walked back across the hall to his bathroom. Moving his stepstool in front of the bathroom sink with the large mirror set above it, he grabbed his squeegee brush from the adjacent hook on the wall. With practiced strokes, he removed the condensation that had accumulated on the mirror. Returning the squeegee to the hook, he stepped down off the stool. He then removed the tub cleaner from underneath the sink and sprayed down the shower and tub. Taking his trusty sponge from its holder under the sink, he thoroughly scrubbed down his tub and the surrounding tile. Next was the full-length mirror on the door, still fogged with condensation. He removed a squeegee, half the size of the other, from its hook and cleaned off the full-length mirror as well. Looking at his bathroom one more time, to his immense satisfaction, it looked like it hadn’t even been used, and that’s the way he liked it. Jimmy walked over to his bed and began pulling the sheets back into place on the queen-size bed. He tucked the sheets in tight and neat, making sure to tuck them in with hospital corners. Satisfied with the flat, smooth sheets, he pulled the comforter up into place and tucked it in as well, his pillows trapped underneath. Morning cleaning complete, it was time for breakfast. Jimmy poured himself a bowl of Raisin Bran and sat at his kitchen island. Scrolling through the latest local and national news, he mechanically moved the spoon from the bowl to his mouth. Depositing his bowl in the dishwasher, he glanced at the clock on the stove. Jimmy saw that it was currently six forty-five in the morning. He was on time, as usual. After quickly wiping down the countertops of any stray bran flakes, he swept the kitchen floor for any minuscule particles of dust that had built up since cleaning up dinner last night. Looking back at the living room and kitchen of his apartment, Jimmy was satisfied with how clean it looked. His apartment looked like it could be the model apartment that complexes showed off to prospective renters. There was everything you would expect: couches, end tables, lamps, a television, but it all felt artificial. The apartment had no feeling of being lived in. That didn’t bother Jimmy. This cleanliness and picture-perfect presentation were all he had ever known. He had no concept of a feeling of hominess, of a place being filled with warmth and personality. Next to the door on a low hook hung Jimmy’s work bag. The bag was a mix of work items and personal items. His lunch, work laptop, and a spare pull-on ultra-absorbent brief, along with travel-size powder and wipes, were contained within. He hated that he was forced to pack extra protection, because he knew that meant he was admitting that he would need a change. Just underneath the dangling bag, there was a bench with neatly arranged rows of shoes on the underside. Grabbing his red New Balance shoes, he slipped them on with practiced ease and grabbed his bag. He took one last look around the apartment to make sure he hadn’t left anything potentially hazardous on. Doing a final check of his pockets, feeling his keys, wallet, and phone, Jimmy turned off the overhead lights and exited his apartment. Locking the door to his fifth-floor apartment, Jimmy quickly made his way down the stairs and outside to the bus stop, arriving at five minutes to seven, just like he did every morning. The bus arrived five minutes late, much to Jimmy’s chagrin. Stepping onto the bus and swiping his Metro Pass, he was greeted by the same friendly driver who always was on this route. An uneventful twenty minutes later, the bus arrived at Jimmy’s stop in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. The bus deposited him just across the street from his work. Making his way to the street corner, he hustled across the crosswalk while it was still showing the Walk sign. Stopping a moment to catch his breath, Jimmy made his way to the front door of Hermes Insurance Inc’s soaring downtown headquarters. Doing his best not to be swept up by the revolving door, he carefully made his way to the security station. Swiping his badge at the reader, the turnstile gate opened with a click. The elevator bank was just beyond, and he was lucky enough to catch the polished gold elevator doors before they could close completely. Seeing that he had the elevator to himself, he quickly pressed the button for the tenth floor so he could keep it that way. The rapidly ascending elevator deposited him on his desired floor. He made his way to the break room to get ready for the workday. Depositing his prepared meal, made the night before, into the communal refrigerator, Jimmy took a seat to wait for the start of his shift at eight. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to prepare himself to be yelled at all day. He hated his job, his coworkers, and his boss was the worst. His choice of jobs hadn’t been large in this struggling economy. You took whichever jobs were available. As the clock flipped to eight o’clock on the dot, Jimmy swiped his badge at the check-in station. Hustling to his cubicle in the back of the room, he quickly sets up for the day. Once his computer finally booted up, he was able to sign in to all necessary work programs. He grabbed the headset from its dock built into his office phone. He exhaled as he put the headset on and once again attempted to steel himself for the day ahead. Marking himself ready to receive calls, Jimmy prayed that his first customer would be nice and not a mean customer. Jimmy was pleasantly surprised when, after reading his scripted answering prompt, the voice on the other end of the line was a kindly elderly woman who had dialed the wrong number. Quickly assuring her that it was not a problem, he switched to the next caller. This time, he wasn’t so lucky. The customer on the line was very audibly frustrated as Jimmy read through his case. By the end of the call, the man was screaming in his ear, calling him names like “idiot, useless, fool,” and eventually demanding to speak to a supervisor. He did as asked, even though his Supervisor would just tell the customer the same things he had. As Jimmy disconnected from the call, he felt a small spurt of pee escape into his padded brief. Yelling customers always made him anxious. They caused him to inadvertently clench himself as if he was trying to pull away from the voice on the other end of the phone. So when the call ended and he relaxed, a small spurt escaped into his brief. For the thousandth time, Jimmy cursed his anxiety and urge incontinence. Thankfully, no one at work knew about this, and he wanted to keep it that way. He just knew the department head would humiliate him if he knew about the incontinence. He was the nephew of one of the C Suite executives, and he walked around knowing he was untouchable. He blatantly played favorites, taking work off of the people he liked, and shoving more on the ones he didn’t. Jimmy was very firmly in the category of people he didn’t like. Jimmy had no clue why. He had barely interacted with the man outside of yes sir or no sir. If he had to guess, he believed it was likely that he was small, scrawny, timid, and quiet, the perfect combination for any bully’s ire. He tried to be pleasant, but it just seemed to piss the man off even more. Several hours and many involuntary spurts later, it was finally time for lunch. Jimmy ate quickly, using the remainder of his lunch to write a To Do list for himself, starting with this evening. The main task that needed to be completed was to stop by the diaper bank and restock his nighttime disposable briefs. He was down to half on his current bag and wanted to resupply before it got any lower. He didn’t want to risk running out and being left high and dry. He completed the list with several other minor cleaning tasks added on. Lunch about to end, Jimmy made his way to the Men’s room to change into a dry pull on briefs. Glancing around as he walked, to see if anyone else was in the bathroom before entering. Shutting himself in a stall, he quickly removed his slacks and placed them on the hook attached to the stall door. With practiced efficiency, he tore the sides of his wet brief and removed it. He put the used brief on the back of the toilet. Wiping himself down, he deposited the wipe in the open brief and rolled it up tight. Depositing the soiled brief into a sealable plastic bag, he quickly grabbed the dry brief and pulled it on. Quickly, dusting his intimate areas, he packed his bag back up and stepped back into his pants. As he was pulling up his pants so he could turn and grab the bag with the soiled brief, he heard the door to the bathroom open. He froze for a moment to allow the newcomer to enclose himself in a stall. Jimmy quickly flushed the toilet and left the stall. He tossed the soiled brief into the trash and washed his hands. He placed the wet paper towels over the bag, but before he could cover the bag any further, he heard the toilet flush and rushed out of the bathroom instead. Clocking back in at one pm on the dot, he returned to his station. Jimmy preferred the afternoons at work. Afternoons were when he took care of reports and forms that his boss had shoved off onto him, being too “busy” to do them himself. Doing reports meant he wasn’t taking calls, and no calls meant no yelling, and no yelling meant no spurts. Thirty minutes before quitting time, he finally completed all of his boss’s work for the day and printed out the reports to deliver them as instructed. Making his way to the dreaded “bro” department manager’s office, he timidly knocked on the office door. After being bidden to enter, he handed in the reports like he always did. He received a dismissive handwave from the boss, who never took his eyes off the computer screen. He turned to exit the office and return to his cubicle. As he was passing through the door frame, his boss called for him to return. Confused, he cautiously made his way back to the desk, and to his surprise, his boss complimented him for his work on the report. Suddenly, he was standing and walking around his desk to shake Jimmy’s hand. He was too stunned to react as his boss shook his hand. Still complimenting Jimmy’s work, he gently guided him out to the main call center floor. Loudly clapping his hands, he called for silence. Once he was sure he had everyone’s attention, he cleared his throat. “Thank you for your attention, folks. I have just received an email from HR reminding me that I have yet to complete this month’s training on workplace harassment. According to HR, I need to have a meeting with my whole team to discuss workplace harassment and provide examples of what to do to avoid harassing language and actions. Jimmy here has graciously volunteered to help me act out a few possible scenarios of workplace harassment. Hopefully, with these examples, you will all learn what language is acceptable and unacceptable in the workplace.” Jimmy’s anxiety spiked through the roof. Do a presentation with the boss? In front of everyone? With all of those eyes on him? He began to shake slightly at the pressure, as a small spurt made its way into his briefs. Looking over at his boss once he had stopped talking, Jimmy thought he might have seen a hint of a smirk on his boss’ face, but he couldn’t be sure. Jimmy waved it off as his anxiety. His boss was a dick, but he wasn’t evil. Right? His boss called his name, trying to get his attention. On the third repeat of his name, he came back to reality. His boss informed Jimmy that in this scenario, he was playing the part of the employee receiving harassment. His boss, Chad, would be playing the harassing coworker. In this scenario, Jimmy was being harassed for a medical condition. With their roles assigned, the scenario began. “Hey Jimmy! How’s it going, buddy?” “Um, good. How are you, Chad?” “I’m good, buddy. Say, do you smell that? Smells like pee!” Jimmy froze in place. This scenario was hitting too close to home for his liking. Did Chad know about his incontinence? Was he overthinking it? Was it possible that this was just the example scenario that someone in HR had assigned to be acted out? Some scenario picked at random from a generated list of possible harassment scenarios? “Hey, Jimmy! Earth to Jimmy! I asked you a question. Do you smell that?” “Ummm. No, I don’t smell anything.” “You don’t smell that? Smells like a baby to me. Smells like a baby with a pissy diaper. Any idea where that’s coming from, Jimmy?” “No…No idea. I don’t smell anything.” “No idea, huh? It wouldn’t have anything to do with the soaked diaper I found in the trash in the Men’s room, would it? Do you know anything about that Jimmy?” Jimmy’s mind was going a mile a minute, and his anxiety spiked even higher. Was this really the scenario? Was this really a coincidence, or had Chad found his brief in the trash after lunch? He felt himself spiraling into an anxiety attack, and suddenly, a warm wetness blooming from his crotch. Jimmy barely registered the spreading warmth, too in his own head to pay attention to any outside stimuli. It was only the sound of shocked gasps and a dripping sound that brought him back to reality. Looking around, Jimmy could see all of his coworkers still staring in his direction, but now their eyes were focused on his crotch. Jimmy looked down to see a large wet stain on the front of his pants, running down the legs to the floor, where a puddle had formed beneath him. In his anxious state, it seemed as if he had stopped holding his bladder and flooded his padded briefs. Not being designed for a flood of urine released from a full bladder, they had naturally leaked. His pants drenched, and a pool at his feet, Jimmy began to sob. His boss moved to his side with a look of sympathy on his face. “Ok, everybody, show’s over. Get back to work, and stop staring at poor Jimmy’s accident.” The rest of the office silently returned to their cubicles and got back to work. Jimmy’s sobs slowed into sniffles, and he looked up at his boss. His boss gave him a sympathetic smile, but Jimmy could swear he was actually smirking inside. His eyes seemed to give off a spark of glee, that this was hilarious, but he had to appear sympathetic. He bent down to whisper into Jimmy’s ear. “Do you have anything to change into? Another pull-up?” Jimmy didn’t even register that his boss had mentioned pull-ups, and that there should have been no way he would know that. He didn’t clock the false sympathy oozing from his boss’ voice. He just sniffled and shook his head. “Why don’t you go grab your stuff and leave a bit early then. No need to clock out, I’ll take care of it. You just hurry home and get dry!” Jimmy just nodded and started towards his desk. He thought he heard the faint sound of laughter behind him, but he couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t in his head, and he was laughing at himself. Quietly, he grabbed his laptop and personal items and walked towards the elevator. He was doing his best to keep the front of his soaked pants out of everyone’s eyeline, not realizing there was a large stain on the back of his pants as well. He quietly waited for the elevator, his head hung low, eyes focused on the ground. It felt like an eternity before the elevator dinged its arrival and opened. He shuffled in and made his way to the lobby. He just wanted to get out of this place. He couldn’t believe he had just wet himself in front of his boss and coworkers. How did that happen? That’s what he asked himself on the ride to the lobby, and all the way out the front door to the street. Art from Manga Kare to Kanojo no Chiguhagu by Manako.

Preface: writing my first coming of age story loosely based on my real experiences growing up as a bedwetter. Names and timeline are fictional or moved around for narrative purposes, but most of the story detail has some basis in my childhood. Chapter 1: Just in Case July, 2020 “Ryan, let’s go we’re going to be late!” yelled his father from the first floor of their suburban Chicagoland home. Recently -turned-9 year old Ryan Santos mentally prepared to groggily pull himself out of bed. It was 5am, and he and his family were slated to leave in an hour for his first major family vacation in over a year: a 6 hour drive to spend the weekend in St. Louis, Missouri. Originally, to celebrate his birthday, the family trip was to fly to the Philippines and reunite with extended family that Ryan’s parents had left almost a decade and a half prior. Due to the pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions, those plans were scrapped, but his mother Linda saw this as a perfect opportunity to visit the city of St. Louis, a place she had been enamored with since childhood during a trip to the states back in the 90s. The interstate travel restrictions were also easing up as lockdowns became less strict and social distancing became the norm. While not rich, Ryan was fairly well off as an only child in an upper middle class neighborhood. Both of parents worked in the medical field: his father, Jerry, worked in hospital administration and Linda worked as a nurse. With the pandemic, their workload went into overdrive, but they managed to carve out some free time over the weekend to go on this vacation and blow off some steam. Nonetheless, Jerry was often strict and regimented when it came to schedules, even on a vacation, sometimes adding tension to family outings in the past. Linda entered the bedroom and saw Ryan still in his red pajamas in bed, the covers halfway down to his legs. He shifted around in his sleep frequently, causing his shirt to roll up a few inches above his belly to reveal the blue waistband of his Goodnites, and he noticed his favorite Tigger stuffed animal was knocked on the ground and somehow made it into the crevice between his bed and nightstand. “Anak, you know how your father is, don’t make him ask twice please,” she said tactfully. “Okay, I’m getting up already,” Ryan replied as he got out of bed. He had been awake for about 25 minutes already, but had been dreading leaving the comfort of his bed. As he sat up, he noted the tension in his lower abdomen but thought nothing of it as he got to his knees on the floor and bent over to reach for his stuffed animal. His slender frame made it easy to get between his bed and the nightstand. Mid reach, he released his bladder and felt his already swollen Goodnites become warm again. His stream concluded as he stood up and faced his mother. Ryan had wet the bed every night his entire life, and despite recently turning 9, it showed no signs of stopping, despite his mother and doctor saying it would stop itself eventually. While he wouldn’t prefer to have this problem, it wasn’t a big deal to him or his immediate family; his nightly donning of protective undergarments was simply a normal part of life. None of his friends knew, and he preferred to keep it that way, often bowing out of invitations to sleepovers and overnight extracurriculars, though he would like to experience those one day. While he didn’t necessarily potty train late, he did achieve it with literal days prior to starting preschool, and even then he still had frequent accidents up through kindergarten. His frustrated father threatened to send him to school in diapers on multiple occasions but never followed through with it. By age 6, Ryan was in control of his body, save for the nightly accidents that were remedied by his mother’s weekly grocery run for Goodnites. Ever since he was little, he had made a habit of using his Goodnites while still awake, both before and after bedtime, something that his mom called him out on occasionally, but usually wouldn’t notice. While embarrassed, Ryan would internally justify it as they would be wet either way, might as well use them for the intended purpose. “Get ready soon! We’re trying to leave in the next 30 minutes, we’re putting the maleta in the van soon,” Linda said with her usual hint of Filipino accent mixed with Taglish. He obeyed by making his way to the bathroom down the hall to brush his teeth and prepare for the day. He pulled down his pants and pulled down his heavy, soggy Goodnite and placed it in the trash bin with a thud. He got dressed with a souvenir shirt with the Canadian maple leaf logo and put on some normal underwear and sweat pants before meeting his mom at the foyer of his house, Tigger in hand. His mother had packed most of the family’s clothes and belongings into one massive leather suitcase that she had brought when they first immigrated to America. She prided herself in fitting a family vacation’s worth of clothes into one bag, even if it was only for a weekend. She asked her son a question as he placed his stuffed animal in the suitcase, taking inventory of toiletries before zipping it up. “How many pull ups do you have left in the bathroom?” “I dunno, like 3 left I think? They’re already in the bag,” he answered as he noted 3 Goodnites already zipped up in a mesh compartment. “Go get them,” she ordered. “What? Why? Isn’t this enough for the weekend trip?” “Just bring them,” she said bluntly. “Just in case.” “Okay,” Ryan said with a shrug as he ran up to the bathroom upstairs. Not sure what that’s supposed to mean, he thought as he got the got the last 3 from the pack and threw the plastic package wrap in the trash. He walked down the stairs and handed the Goodnites to his mother, who zipped them up in the mesh pocket with the other toiletries. After doing a final check, she zipped up the suitcase and had Ryan load it into the back of their silver Honda Odyssey. “Make sure the top is easy to access,” she specified as he loaded it into the trunk. Ryan proceeded to hop in the back seat with the snack bag, and enjoyed the Nesquik chocolate milk he traditionally had in a travel mug. His father started the van and typed in the address of the fancy hotel on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River that they would be staying at. His mom entered the car, checking the glove compartment to make sure their emergency supply of medical masks was still there after they became mandatory in most public establishments. Jerry looked back at his son as he backed out of the driveway and turned to Linda. “Is he wearing his nappies?” He asked her not so subtly. Ryan cringed internally; he hated when his dad called them that, not that the term “diapers” was much better. He considered the term infantilizing, even if the term reflected how his parents grew up overseas using different lingo. He appreciated that his mom simply called them pull ups, but the mere mention of them in general outside the house always made him a little self conscious. He knew why his dad was asking: while he never had to wear them on car trips before, the idea was always floated after multiple close calls in past road trips that resulted in emergency bathroom runs to gas stations, restaurants, and rest stops for Ryan to relieve himself, further delaying their trip. Deep down, Ryan almost wanted to wear them for that specific reason, but quickly pushed the idea out of his head as the embarrassment was too much. He had always been insecure about his weak bladder, but he hated it most when his parents brought it up in casual conversations. “No, he’s not,” Linda answered with a hint of annoyance. “Not yet.” Yet? Ryan thought as he downed the last of his chocolate milk. He didn’t think much of it as he looked out the window and saw his suburb turn into countryside as his family began their drive south. Within about 30 minutes, the familiar tension in his lower torso appeared, causing Ryan to dread that he still had over 5 hours left of the trip. Chapter 2: Not quite a bathroom break “What is it, Ryan?” Jerry said with a hint of frustration as he noticed his son squirming in his seat as he looked into the rearview mirror. “Um…” Ryan stammered as he dreaded asking the next question. “I… have to go to the bathroom.” Jerry clicked his mouth and sighed angrily. They had been on the road for a little over 45 minutes and had successfully beat the traffic rush to the interstate by leaving early, but stopping now would negate that progress. “Sorry,” Ryan added sheepishly. “You should have gone before we left!” His father said as they continued driving. “Please?” The young boy squeaked as he felt the tension worsening. He noted that he technically did relieve himself just before they left right after he woke up, just not necessarily in the bathroom. “Why do you always do this?” Jerry said with an eye roll. “Jerry!” Linda said with a slight scowl to her spouse. “We’ll try to stop soon honey, just hang in there.” “Okay,” Ryan said as he felt a bead of sweat form. His mother looked up and saw that a rest stop was only 2 miles ahead, but her hopes were soon dashed as a “REST STOP CLOSED” sticker was placed on the sign, a further indication of the majority of public rest stops being shut down due to the pandemic. The following sign saying that the next rest stop wouldn’t be up for another 45 miles didn’t help. Another 5 minutes went by as Ryan continued to squirm, trying to distract himself with the near featureless midwestern countryside. “There!” Linda said as she noted an exit sign saying there was a Shell gas station and an old diner a couple miles ahead. “We could use a top off on the gas anyway,” she remarked, despite the tank being 3/4 full. Reluctantly, Jerry shifted into the right lane and proceeded to take the exit ramp when it came up. After about a mile, they pulled into the parking lot of the gas station and Jerry exited the van to pay at the gas pump, only to get a notification “SEE CASHIER INSIDE” as he swiped his card. Annoyed, he grabbed a mask from the glove box and headed inside the store, noticing a line of other masked people standing 6 feet apart who were already pulled up at other pumps. Ryan quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and prepared to open the van sliding door when his mother stopped him. “Honey,” she said sweetly. Ryan turned to her with desperation on his face as he wondered what was so important that his mom had to say. “I know this is going to sound strange, but I don’t want you using the bathroom here.” “What?” Ryan said in disbelief. “What do you mean?” “Your father and I talked about it last night: we really don’t trust the public bathrooms out here, especially on the interstate. There’s so many people who might be sick using those bathrooms who probably don’t wash their hands, and they could be spreading Covid.” “But the sign right there says they deep clean and disinfect it every hour!” He replied as he pointed to one of the signs at the gas station window. “I know it says that honey, but you never can trust those. Plus, you might run into a whole lot of people from all over the country who might have Covid but they’re asymptomatic and are just spreading it to everyone. You don’t want to get sick like you did last Christmas, do you?” Ryan thought back to this past winter where he spent the majority of his Christmas break bedridden and battling a fever, taking the fun of the holidays away in the process. He couldn’t really argue with his mom, as he knew he had a history of a weak immune system, and he over heard his parents the past few months constantly lamenting about the overwhelming amount of the horrifically ill patients they saw everyday in the hospitals they worked at. Ryan sighed as he struggled to keep composure at the mounting pressure in his bladder. “What do you want me to do? Go in the grass by the parking lot like a dog where everyone can see me?” “No, not that…” his mother tried to think of a way to bring it up delicately. “Your father and I were thinking the easiest and safest way for you to go to the bathroom would be if you went to the maleta…” Ryan blinked nervously as he started to realize what his mother was suggesting. “…and put on one of your pull ups… and used those.” Ryan wasn’t sure how to respond to that. The notion of it was so deathly embarrassing, but he also considered running to the gas station bathroom, which on the other hand, might actually result in him catching Covid and ending up as another pandemic statistic at a hospital. “You can put them on in the van so it’s a little more private. Even if you have to go number 2, I can help you clean up,” she concluded. “Mom!” He snapped. “I don’t have to go number 2.” He thought about making a break for the bathroom, then ultimately decided against it after realizing he’d likely get an earful from his dad later for disobeying his mother. He looked around the gas station parking lot and saw other families with kids walking around: some his age, some older, some younger. It’s not like I’ll see these kids ever again anyway, he thought. “Fine,” he said defeated. “I’ll be right back,” his mother said sweetly as she exited the front passenger seat and made her way to the trunk of the Odyssey. She unzipped the suitcase and pulled out one of Ryan’s Goodnites, as well as a package of Pampers baby wipes as Ryan hid in the backseat and crouched down to try to stay clear of the windows, mortified if one of the other kids saw his mom with his pull-ups in hand. She opened the sliding door and handed him the pull up, which he reluctantly grabbed and popped back behind the seat as he closed the door. His hands began shaking as his desperation reached a breaking point, making his fine motor skills jerky as he took his shoes off and quickly pulled his pants and briefs down. He crouched extra low as he opened up the Goodnite and slipped it on, barely in time as he began to relieve himself with an audible hiss. Ryan breathed a relieved sigh as he felt the familiar sensation of his pull up filling with the warm liquid and causing it to expand. He figured it felt different than the other times he had gone on purpose either just before bed or after waking up, probably because his mother had not only given him explicit permission, but encouragement to do so. After about a minute, Ryan finished, noticing how heavy it sagged and swole up. While it did feel very toddler like, it wasn’t as bad or embarrassing as he thought it would be. He began to get up from his crouching position on the floor by the back seat when his mom pulled open the side door. “Oh! Sorry, I thought you were in the very back row,” she exclaimed as the pantsless Ryan had his wet pull up on full display. He prayed the group of kids playing in the grass about 50 feet away didn’t see him in this state. Ryan jumped in the back row of seats where he was relatively out of view of the open door. “Are you done?” “Yes,” he answered his mother quickly. “Are you sure?” “YES!” He said annoyed. “Just making sure,” she said nonchalantly. She held up the package of baby wipes. “You got this?” “Yes mom,” he said as he grabbed the pack. “Can you please close the door?” Without another word, Linda shut the sliding door and Ryan crouched down in the back most seat row. He shimmied off the Goodnite as it made an audible plop on the floor of the van. He did a quick once over with the baby wipe before putting his underwear and pants back on, followed by his shoes. Soon, his mom opened the sliding door again. “All good?” “Yes,” Ryan answered quietly. She looked down at the wet pull up on the floor of the car. “Do you want me to throw that away for you?” Ryan hesitated, not sure if his mom holding his waste was more embarrassing or if he would rather take care of it himself. Eventually, he made a decision. “Can you take it please?” He asked, too ashamed to leave the perceived safety of the van. “Of course,” Linda said with a smile to try to cheer her son up. She rolled up the wet pull up, reminding her of the times when Ryan was a toddler. Noticing the trash can next to the gas pump was full, she began to walk towards the edge of the parking lot by the grass. Ryan began to turn red as he realized she was going to throw it away in the trash can right in front of where the other kids his age were running and playing. She promptly threw it away and proceeded to rub her hands with hand sanitizer as she walked back to the van. Opening the front passenger door, she noticed Ryan staring out the opposite window, still as red as an apple, trying to watch the other cars at the gas station to take his mind off his embarrassing ordeal. “You okay, anak?” She asked. “I’m great, just great,” he mumbled as he saw a mother exit a pick up truck with her toddler age daughter in her arms. She proceeded to lay her down on a mat on the tailgate of the truck, lifted her skirt up, and proceeded to change her diaper. In a way, Ryan almost envied how unashamed and not self conscious the little girl was and how her situation just mirrored his own. Soon, Jerry returned from the cashier line and proceeded to fill the car up quickly. He sat back in the driver seat and began to drive back onto the country road leading to the interstate. “Did he go?” He asked his wife over some country music playing on the radio. Ryan could still hear the conversation. “Yes, he did. Took him a minute, but he did.” “Is he wearing one now? I don’t want to make stops every 45 minutes or we’ll be on the road all day.” “No, he’s not. He’s still warming up to it,” she defended. “He’s done with his chocolate milk so he probably won’t have to go for a while now that he has nothing else to drink.” Jerry visibly wasn’t very happy with the answer. “I’ll have him put one on next stop,” she relented. Chapter 3: Traffic Overflow Author’s Note: we’re 3 chapters in and I just realized I should probably provide translations of the infrequent Tagalog vocabulary used: - Anak = child - Maleta= suitcase - Sige na: an expression that loosely translates to “come on” I’ll probably post these as needed for each chapter. Back to the story: The next couple hours of the trip went by fairly uneventfully as the Santos family made their way through central Illinois. Ryan had his sketchbook and colored pencils to keep him entertained by drawing custom Mandalorian armor and other Star Wars characters, while making sure to bring his liquid intake to practically zero so as to not repeat his experience at the gas station. His parents listened to podcasts and audiobooks to pass the time, noting that they were approaching lunchtime and were due to reach the historic state capital of Springfield in less than half an hour. It was a particularly hot summer day, and Linda began to notice that Ryan had not drank anything since the chocolate milk he had this morning. “Ryan, Anak, are you thirsty? Why don’t you have some water or Gatorade?” “I’m good, thanks mom,” Ryan fibbed. He was definitely a little parched after not drinking anything the past couple of hours. “Sige na! It’s all there in the cooler, we’re only about 15 minutes away from getting lunch.” “Okay, I guess,” he acquiesced. Ryan grabbed a red Gatorade and took a sip, which quickly turned into him chugging half the bottle after realizing how thirsty he was. Soon, they reached Springfield, and pulled off the exit to streets adorned with Abraham Lincoln tributes and paraphernalia. They reached a McDonald’s and pulled into the parking lot, stretching their legs and preparing to enter the restaurant. “I’m going to the bathroom if you want to watch the car,” Jerry said as he went inside after giving his wife a kiss. “Okay! I’ll go when you come back and then we’ll hit the drive through,” She responded as she walked to the opened back of the van. “Can I go too?” Ryan asked. “You need to already?” Linda asked as she began to open the giant suitcase. Before she could open the toiletries pocket, Ryan interjected when he realized what she was doing. “No, wait! I mean, can’t I go in the restaurant with dad and use their bathroom?” “Honey, we went over this,” his mom answered with a tone of empathy. “How come you and dad can go use the bathroom there and I can’t? Aren’t you afraid of getting sick?” He protested. “Oh it’s different. Your dad and I work at the hospital, and we’ve already been exposed to Covid, and even if we do get sick, it wouldn’t hit us as hard as it would you. You know how easy it is for you to get sick- you miss a week of school almost every year from the flu with your immune system issues,” his mom explained. “I guess,” Ryan sighed in defeat. He was notorious at school for getting sick easily, sometimes getting picked on when he would return to class, and despite getting fairly high grades, he often felt like he was playing catch up on class work to make up the difference. When he got sick, it almost always hit hard. “Do you still need to go?” Linda asked as took a pull up out. “No I’m good,” he replied. “You sure?” “Yes I can hold it!” Ryan insisted. “Okay,” she said somewhat defensively. Instead of putting the pull up back, Ryan noticed she put it in her purse along with the wipes. Jerry soon returned and traded spots with Linda, and they shortly all were back in the van and in line for the drive through. Eating out was a special treat for Ryan as his parents were both into eating home cooked healthy food the majority of the year. Ryan could count on one hand how many times he’s had McDonald’s the past couple years, with the most recent being his 9th birthday, where in a rare show of affection, his dad treated him to his first Big Mac instead of the kids menu he would typically get in the past. After ordering and receiving their food, the family pulled into the parking lot and ate in the van together, another social distancing precaution that was all too familiar as they travelled in the pandemic. Ryan was the first to finish his Big Mac meal, quickly devouring the burger and guzzling the orange Hi-C drink. Fully satisfied but unaccustomed to the greasy meal, he began to grow lethargic, letting out a long yawn as his parents finished their food. Linda noticed this and saw an opportunity before they hit the road. “Why don’t you take a nap, sleepy head?” She asked. “It’s the last leg of the trip, we’re only about 2 hours away from the hotel, and I know you’ve been up since before the sunrise.” “Yeah, I guess I will,” Ryan answered as he stifled another yawn. He saw his mother dig into her purse and take out the pull up. He was already expecting this and didn’t mind as he’d already worn one on car trips in the past when he was asleep, which was usually only the first leg. Now, it was a little strange since his mom was insisting on him wearing one the entirety of the trip. “You sure you don’t need to go before we leave? It’ll be easier to change if we’re stopped instead of sitting in a wet one the remainder of the trip. If you can hold it, you can use the bathroom at our hotel room- I’ll make sure to deep clean and disinfect it before any of us use it… but your father and I both think it’s best if you wear one now.” “I’ll put it on now since I want to sleep,” Ryan relented as he grabbed the pull up from his mother, “but I don’t need to go right now.” “That’s a first,” Jerry mumbled. Linda shot him a mean look and turned back to her son. “Thanks so much for making things easier anak! We’ll get whatever you want for dinner at the hotel when we get there.” Ryan moved to the back most seat for privacy as he put the pull up on. His parents patiently scrolled through their phones as he finished up getting dressed and hopped back in his seat. They continued on with their journey as they left Springfield and merged back onto the interstate, but for the first 20 minutes Ryan struggled to fall asleep as the all too familiar urge hit his bladder once again. He shifted his position in his seat to ease the pressure on his lower body, and contemplated asking his parents to use the restroom once again, only to remember what he was wearing. Instead, Ryan relaxed and proceeded to wet a moderate amount in his pull up, barely causing it to swell between his legs. Now at ease and comfortable, Ryan was able to drift off to sleep within 5 minutes. After what felt like only about 30 minutes, Ryan awoke to notice that they were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. He checked the clock and realized he was out for a little over 2 hours, especially evidenced by the fact he noticed his pull up was significantly more full than what it was when he drifted off to sleep. “Where are we? Are we almost to the hotel?” He asked after a yawn. “We’re in Belleville,” his dad answered. “And we were 8 minutes away from the hotel according to the GPS, but that was 45 minutes ago before we ran into traffic.” “Looks like there’s a car accident about half a mile ahead,” his mom added. “We should be getting out soon though.” Ryan groaned. He was ready for the road-trip to be over. He felt another urge to pee hit his bladder, which he let loose almost immediately. Definitely feeling that large Hi-C and Gatorade, he thought, and for once was thankful he was wearing Goodnites in situations like this. “Ugh this traffic needs to ease up soon, I need to get out of this car,” Linda remarked as she sipped the last of her water bottle and turned up the A/C. She noticed how much her husband was sweating and offered him a water bottle from the cooler, to which he enthusiastically accepted. She got a second one and gave handed it towards Ryan. “Anak, drink this! I don’t need you getting heat stroke. I’m not taking no for an answer.” Ryan obeyed without question and quickly drank the water bottle until it was empty. He wanted out of this traffic jam just as much if not more than his mom. After another 20 minutes, he released another quick stream into his pull up almost absent-mindedly. Another half hour of traffic passed, where Ryan zoned out, too hot and bored to continue his drawings, when he thoughtlessly let out another steady trickle, when he felt a warm liquid run down his pant leg, causing him to stop mid stream. Oh no, he thought as he snapped back to his current reality. He lifted open the front of his waistband to view the front of his pull up, which had become visibly over saturated. He lifted up his leg and felt the seat of his pants and noticed it was slightly damp, and not from sweat. “Um… mom?” “Yes, anak?” “I kind of… have to go to the bathroom.” “Just use your pull up, honey. It’s okay.” “Um, I can’t,” Ryan said awkwardly. “What do you mean you can’t?” His dad asked. Linda turned around in her seat to face her son. “I’m kind of… wet,” Ryan mumbled, trying to avoid eye contact with his mother who now realized his predicament. “What do you- “ , Jerry glanced back and groaned. “That better not have gotten on the seat.” “Jerry!” Linda exclaimed. “I’m sorry,” Ryan mumbled in embarrassment. “It’s okay Anak, it’s not your fault. We just need to be more careful with the juice in the future,” consoled his mom. She reached into her purse and realized she had already given him the pull up she packed earlier. “Do you think I have time to get to the maleta?” “Traffic’s finally starting to move, we’re less than 10 minutes out from the hotel. He can wait,” Jerry said. “Sorry honey, do you think you can hold out for a little longer?” “I- I think so,” Ryan said, still needing to empty the rest of his bladder. Sure enough, traffic on the interstate began to accelerate after passing the scene of a multi car pile up. Thankfully no one appeared to be injured, though the spread of debris and the number of cars involved definitely accounted for the lengthy delay. Within a few minutes, the van arrived at the Snowden hotel, a small but fancy hotel located between the town and a stone’s throw from St. Louis. Jerry parked the van and put on a mask as he rushed inside to check in. Linda exited the car to stretch her legs, and Ryan got out of his seat, but stopped short of exiting the van out of fear that someone would see his wet pants. After what felt like an eternity, Jerry came back with the key cards while Linda escorted Ryan inside, power walking through the hotel corridors to get to their room. By this point, Ryan was hobbling from left to right, feeling like he was about to burst. Instinctively, he covered his groin area and quickly let go after feeling the dampness seep out through his pull up and onto his sweatpants. His mother was finally able to swipe the door open with the key card, causing Ryan to almost push his way into the hotel room and make a beeline for the bathroom. “Wait!” His mom interjected, causing Ryan to stop dead in his tracks with a look of dejection on his face. “What now?” He asked as Linda reached into her purse. She pulled out an aerosol spray and disinfectant wipes and stepped towards the bathroom. “Let me clean it first, you never know if they wiped down all the surfaces for Covid,” his mother stated as she spent the next 2 minutes doing a quick clean of the toilet, countertop, shower, and sink. Unfortunately for Ryan, it was 2 minutes too long as he accidentally let out another jet of urine into his pull up. This time, he crouched down to try to get the pool of it to absorb in the back as it was significantly less saturated than the front. After relieving most of the pressure, he was able to hold it. “Okay, you’re good,” she said as she stepped out. With a dejected lesser urgency, Ryan pulled his wet pants and pull up down with a thud and tried to pee, but could only let out a weak stream that lasted no more than a couple seconds. He covered his mouth and nose as he dropped his soaked pull up into the trash can under the sink. Ryan noticed the bottom edge of his shirt had also been slightly wet and proceeded to take that off before stepping into the shower. While he was in the bathroom, his dad entered the hotel room with the giant suitcase. After giving him a few minutes in the shower, Linda cracked the bathroom door open and left a fresh change of clothes, including normal underwear, on the countertop for her son. As he wrapped up his shower, Ryan pondered on the day, noting that while being in wet clothes for several minutes was uncomfortable, he was at least thankful his pull up was able to hold up for at least the first couple of hours of the final leg of the trip. He thought about how careless he was chugging all that water, juice, and Gatorade in such a short span of time; no wonder he was able to flood it towards the end. It wasn’t my fault, he thought. Mom said so. Ryan put on his fresh set of clothes, consisting of basketball shorts and a Spider-Man shirt, but most of all appreciating the feeling of dry underwear. His parents followed suit, spending the next hour freshening up in the shower and changing into new outfits to go out for dinner. As he waited, Ryan turned the TV on to the classic SpongeBob episode “Grandma’s kisses.” As if the universe was taunting him, an ad for Pampers Baby Dry diapers played during the commercial break, boasting about its superior absorbency compared to competitor brands. Honestly could’ve used that earlier, he thought as his dad entered the bathroom as his mom exited. Before long, Ryan and his parents made their way to the lobby where the renowned hotel restaurant was. Much to everyone’s chagrin, instead of a hostess, the family encountered a “closed” sign, followed by the reduced hours of the hotel restaurant due to Covid mitigations. “You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s barely dinner time! What were we supposed to do? Eat dinner at 3 in the afternoon?” Jerry complained to the front desk. “I’m sorry sir, we had to close early due to state mandates. Unfortunately, most, if not all, of the other restaurants in the area are closed now as well. If we can make it up to you and your family, there are grab and go prepared meals that are available at the mini convenience store around the corner down the hallway,” said the short blonde desk attendant. Too tired from the trip to make another argument, Jerry yielded. “I suppose since it’s complimentary,” he mumbled. “Excellent! There’s a self checkout at the stand, but if you charge it to your room number, I’ll make sure to take it off the bill for you,” she said in her most cheerful customer service voice. Jerry thanked her and proceeded to direct his family to the mini store. He and Linda both got salads, with Ryan taking a ham and turkey sandwich. The family brought their food up to their room, eating quickly as everyone was ready for an early night of sleep, eager to end this draining day. What a way to start this weekend, Ryan thought as he put on his pajamas and once again pulled on one of his Goodnites. Soon, he drifted off to sleep, hoping the next day would be better. Chapter 4: Arches and Shortages Ryan felt as if he was in a daze, dizzy and not quite coherent as he laid in bed. The room was still dark, save for the orange light of the street lamp outside his window, and his vision was hazy as if he were in a half dream like state. The sensation of his equilibrium being thrown off and the room spinning made him close his eyes silently and groan. His lower half of his body felt warm, and an odd, pungent scent filled the air. Suddenly, he felt as if his blanket was being pulled away, and he blindly began feeling around for it, only to feel his Tigger plush move into his reach, to which he grabbed the stuffed animal and hugged it to his face. He began to stir a little as he felt the sensation of his pajama pants being pulled off. “It’s okay Anak,” the familiar voice of his mother said softly. His head continued to pound as he felt the sides of his pull up being ripped open and his ankles held together and raised as the cool sensation of a wet wipe radiated around his lower body. After a couple minutes of the cool air and wiping sensation, he heard the telltale crinkling of one of his Goodnites being opened up, and he felt the elastic and padding make its way up his legs and onto his hips. The strong smell went away, and Ryan turned onto his side and drifted into a deep sleep once again. Rays of the morning sun shined through the hotel window and greeted Ryan’s face, causing him to wake up and realize he was in the hotel bedroom. He rubbed his eyes and immediately noticed something was amiss. Not only did he still feel a little dizzy, but he sat up in his bed and pulled the covers down to show that he was no longer wearing his pajama pants, and beyond that, his typical wet pull up felt… different. He pivoted out of bed, and the moment he stood up, the strange smell from last night hit him as he felt a semi-solid mass on the seat of his pull up, causing him to glance down at his nighttime underwear and spread his legs for a better angle to confirm his suspicion. I can’t believe I just did that, he thought. He turned to the other queen bed in the room and noticed both his parents were gone, but his mother stepped out of the bathroom in her bathrobe and wished her son a good morning. “Ummm… mom?” “Yes honey?” She noticed the distraught look on his face. “Are you okay?” “Please don’t be mad… but I think I…” Ryan could barely get his words out. “Did you poop?” She asked bluntly. “Ummm… yeah, I think so,” Ryan answered sheepishly . His mom walked up to him and immediately pulled the rear waistband of his Goodnites open for a quick peak. “Yep, you definitely did again,” she said nonchalantly. “Again?” He said. That wasn’t a dream? Linda grabbed the baby wipes that were sitting atop the nearby dresser, and before Ryan could react, she pulled down his Goodnites and began to clean the mess off of his bottom as he stood there, too unsure of how to act at the abruptness of his mom. He caught a quick glance of the mostly mostly liquid waste at the seat of his full pull up, and became disgusted at what his body had produced. “It’s not your fault, Anak. The hotel sold us expired food. We should’ve read the expiration dates on the packages before we ate. Thankfully I was okay, but your dad was throwing up all morning. He’s complaining to the manager at the front desk right now. We’re not staying the weekend here; we’re actually planning to just head home today, but we will do a quick visit to the Arch so it’s not a wasted trip,” she explained. “Okay,” Ryan replied as his mother continued to wipe his rear end like a toddler. “Can we at least close the curtains?” “Oh don’t worry Anak, we’re on the second floor. Don’t be embarrassed, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to clean you up like this,” she responded matter-of-factly. She finished wiping and put the soiled pull up and baby wipes in a plastic grocery bag and tied it up before throwing it in the hotel trash bin. “Go hop in the shower! I’ll have your clothes ready on the bed. Your dad should be almost done checking out and we can finish packing the maleta so we can go see the Arch.” Ryan quickly hopped in the shower, ruminating about his situation. That was embarrassing, he thought. You literally just crapped your pants like a toddler, and not only that, mom cleaned me up like one too… but she said it’s not my fault… it was the food! The McDonald’s from yesterday probably didn’t help either. Yeah, that’s it. It was a one off thing. Definitely a one off thing. He finished his shower and dried off, wrapping his towel around his waist as he headed towards the bed to grab the clothes his mom provided. Ryan’s eyes froze as he immediately noticed that on top of his folded Star Wars shirt and khaki cargo pants was one of his Goodnites. He turned to the giant suitcase on the floor and saw his mom zip it shut as she finished packing. “Mom, do I really have to wear one out again?” “Yes, honey, don’t you remember what we talked about yesterday? We don’t want you getting sick from the bathrooms at the Arch. Plus, we’re planning on hitting the road immediately after so we can get home before it gets too dark,” she explained. “Also… since the food last night made you sick, I’d rather you wear one in case you… have an accident again.” “But I feel fine mom!” Ryan fibbed. He did still feel a little woozy, but not as bad as last night. “And it only happened once!” “Twice,” Linda corrected. “I think you were asleep when I changed you for the first time.” “But mom,” he whined. “I don’t want to argue, Ryan,” she raised her voice slightly, her son getting the hint that she wouldn’t change her mind. “I don’t want to deal with your poopy underwear if we can avoid it.” “Fine, okay,” Ryan said curtly as he turned red. A knock at the door announced that housekeeping had arrived, to which Linda responded for the maid to come in. This took Ryan off guard as he held his towel tightly to his body as the housekeeper made her way in. She did a quick inspection of the state of the room when her nose visibly twitched under her face mask, to which she immediately made her way to the trash bin containing Ryan’s soiled Goodnites. Without a word, she made her way to the trash and replaced the liner. As she passed, Ryan darted to the bed with his clothes and pull up and held it close to his body. He swiftly made his way to the bathroom to change in privacy, starting with begrudgingly putting on his pull up. Within a couple of minutes, the housekeeper was out of the room, and Linda began getting dressed for the day. Jerry finally arrived back and took the giant suit case and smaller bags back to the car. He returned to the room just as Linda finished up and Ryan exited the bathroom. “Ready to go?” His father said enthusiastically, eager to conclude this snafu of a vacation. “Yep!” Ryan said. “I’ll pull the van up to the front,” he said as he grabbed the keys. “We’ll meet you down there in a second,” his wife responded. She turned to Ryan as Jerry left the room. “Are your pull ups on?” “I have them on,” he grumbled, avoiding her gaze. “Let me check,” she said as she tugged at his shorts waistband to see the telltale top of his pull up. “Good! Why don’t you try going potty one last time? It might be a while until we find another that’s clean and safe.” “Fine,” Ryan said quietly as he entered the bathroom. The way she said “try going potty” not too long after cleaning up his messy pull up really irked him, as if his mother was going out of her way to baby him. He managed to let out a quick stream and finished up in the bathroom after washing his hands. He accompanied his mother to the lobby where the family van was waiting outside. Before long, the family was on their way to St. Louis. Within a few minutes, they crossed into Missouri and were at the base of the famous Arch. Linda turned to Ryan as they prepared to exit the car. “How’s your stomach, Anak?” “Better,” he answered, though it did still feel noticeably bubbly, but not enough for him to be concerned. “Good! Do you think you can handle a banana? I don’t want to give you something to upset it, but I don’t want you walking around on an empty stomach either,” she said, handing him the fruit from the snack bag. “I guess,” Ryan said as he grabbed the banana and began to peel it. His appetite was barely there, but he didn’t want to fight his mother on it as he finished the fruit. “Alright, let’s get to the top of this arch,” Jerry said as he led his family towards the museum entrance at the base. Ryan looked up in awe at the Arch, distracted as he walked behind his parents. Jerry turned to Linda. “Is he wearing his nappies?” “Yes, I made sure,” she confirmed. “As much as I don’t want to deal with dirty diapers.” “It’s better than throwing out dirty clothes,” Jerry remarked. Soon, they fell in line for tickets to access the museum and the arch itself. Ryan started feeling pressure in his bladder, but rather than bother his parents about it, he simply went in his pull up. When they got their tickets, the Santos family perused the museum, reading displays depicting the story of Lewis and Clark and their expedition with Sacajawea. They fell in line to access the elevator to get to the top of the Arch, which was moving slower than usual due to limitations on the number of people they’d allow to go to the top as a Covid precaution. While Jerry was distracted checking social media on his phone, Linda whispered to Ryan. “How’s your pull up?” “It’s fine,” he answered. Ryan quickly shifted around, making sure no one else was able to hear. “Did you pee?” “Only a little,” he blushed. Linda looked over his shoulder and not so subtly pulled back the rear waistband of his pull up. Ryan quickly pulled his shirt down to cover it. “No accidents, that’s good,” she stood back up, satisfied. “I’m glad your tummy is feeling better.” Ryan chose not to acknowledge, feeling like he was about to die from embarrassment, even though no one else in line seemed to have noticed. He quickly forgot about it as they finally made it through the line and entered the pod shaped elevator to reach the top of the Arch. The ride up the curve was fun, but Ryan couldn’t help but feel a little nauseous as it went up at a strange angle, making his stomach feel even more off. Soon, they reached the top, and immediately Ryan was in awe of seeing the city from the top of such strange architecture. With the way the windows were designed, he had to jump up with his petite Filipino frame and bend over to get a good view, inadvertently exposing the back of his pull up as it rose out of the back of his shorts like a tail. Linda considered telling Ryan, but he didn’t want to interrupt his childish wonder of the bird’s eye view of St. Louis. That, and she thought it looked kind of cute. After a few minutes, Jerry began to lead his wife and son back to elevator so they could get on the road. As soon as the elevator ride down began, Ryan’s stomach began to feel pressure. He held it, not wanting to stink up such a tight space, even if it was just gas. The swaying of the elevator pod also began to aggravate his nausea, and by the time it reached the base floor, he dashed out to catch his breath, putting his hands on his knees and slouching over. His mom and dad caught up to him, concerned. “Are you okay?” Linda asked. “You’re good, deep breaths,” Jerry added. “I’m okay, I just… I didn’t like the elevator part, but the top was really cool,” Ryan said, still feeling the internal pressure on his lower abdomen. “That’s good! Let’s take one more picture by the Buffalo for Facebook and let’s go,” Jerry said. Ryan slowly followed his parents to the massive stuffed Buffalo in the museum, walking carefully. Linda noticed this as they bunched up for the picture, but decided to hold off asking until after the photos were taken. “Okay… 1, 2, 3. And 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3,” Jerry said, taking selfie pictures at different angles for what seemed like an eternity to Ryan as the pressure in his stomach built to unbearable levels. Ugh, I can’t take this… it’s just a fart, it’ll be okay, no one can hear it in this huge museum, and they probably wouldn’t smell it, Ryan thought as his dad took more pictures despite saying “last one” multiple times. Ryan felt his stomach gurgle as he finally released, leading to immediate regret as he felt the liquid production slowly fill his pull up. His eyes grew and face turned red in the last picture as he realized what he just did. “Okay, let’s go,” Jerry finally said, satisfied with the shots. “I’m going to use the bathroom before we head out though.” “You go ahead,” Linda insisted, sensing something was off with her son. “I’ll wait here with Ryan and I’ll go next.” She crouched down to his eye level after he slowly moved from his spot. “What’s wrong, Anak?” “Umm, I had an accident…” Ryan alluded. Linda’s eyes grew as she realized the severity of the accident. She stood back up and spotted a secluded corner of the museum a short distance away that was partly concealed by a mock up of a Native American teepee. She held Ryan’s hand as they walked behind the exhibit, making sure not too many people were around. He stood there frozen, with his legs spread wide, trying to come to terms with how he just soiled himself while awake. “Okay, let’s have a look,” Linda said sweetly to put her son more at ease. She pulled the back rear waistband of his Goodnites once more, this time seeing the brown liquid stain that was partially absorbed by the pull up. She proceeded to pull his shorts down to his ankles, seeing the full extent of the damage where the mess pooled by the seat of his pull ups. She checked her purse to realize that she left the extra pull up in the suit case along with the baby wipes, legitimately not expecting any major accidents in the brief period they would be at the Arch. She grimaced at her lack of oversight, and felt bad that her son now had to walk around in his own mess. She pulled Ryan’s cargo shorts back up. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” she said, thinking aloud as she sanitized her hands. “We’ll walk over to the van and get you all freshened up there. I’ll text your dad to meet us there and we’ll be on our way after.” “I’m sorry,” Ryan said quietly, looking at the floor. “Honey, it’s okay. Accidents happen,” she said, hugging her son. “I’m your mom, it’s my job to keep you clean and healthy. Now let’s go.” The two of them held hands as they made their way through the museum and into parking lot, with Ryan self consciously trying to walk as normal as possible. Eventually they got to van, with Linda instructing Ryan to stay in the middle row of the Odyssey as she went to the trunk to open up the suit case. She grabbed the baby wipes and realized this was the last pull up, taking a mental note to pick up some more at their next stop. She opened up the sliding door to see Ryan squatting down to avoid being seen from the windows. “It’s okay,” she reassured. “Now lie down.” “Lie down? Here? On the floor?” Ryan asked. “Yes, now let’s go, your dad will be out soon.” “Can I at least lie down on the back seat?” He pleaded. “No, I don’t want any poop to get on the seats. Also, I’ll have more space to work with from here,” she explained. Reluctantly, Ryan obeyed, still self conscious about how little privacy he was about to get. He laid down on the floor as his mom blocked the view from the outside, and began by pulling his shorts and shoes off. Ryan covered his face as she began to tear the seams of the sides of his pull up and unfolded the front. Linda grimaced a little as she held up his ankles with one hand and grabbed a wipe with another. Ryan hoped no one was walking by as his mother thoroughly wiped his bottom for the next several minutes. “Okay, hard part’s done,” she said with a sigh as she lowered his ankles. She opened the pull up and slipped it up his legs to his waistline. She then put his shorts back on, and rolled up the heavily soiled pull up before tying it into a plastic shopping bag with the used wipes. “Can you get your shoes on?” “I got it,” Ryan said, hoping to regain some dignity and independence by doing the small act of tying his shoes. Jerry returned to the car and hopped in the driver seat as Linda threw the plastic bag into a nearby trash can. She got in the front passenger seat as they started their long journey home. After the first hour, Ryan fell asleep as the deep hypnotic midwestern landscape lulled him to a slumber, and Linda asked Jerry to search for the next closest drugstore or retail center. The GPS located a Walgreens off of an exit 30 miles away as they traversed the empty midwestern farmlands with the interstate. Knowing how much Jerry hated taking side trips that would delay them, she didn’t mind waiting to find a store that was conveniently just off the interstate. They soon pulled off into the remote town and quickly arrived in the parking lot of the drug store. Ryan felt the car stop and woke up disoriented. “Where are we?” He asked as he rubbed his eyes, not recognizing the area. “Your mom is just grabbing some supplies from the Walgreens. She’ll be back out soon if you want to walk around and stretch your legs a little,” his dad explained, to which Ryan obliged. Inside the store, Linda soon discovered it was slim pickings. She new Covid was causing a plethora of disruptions of the supply chain, but it was especially hitting hard out here in these remote southern Illinois towns and villages. Half of the shelves were barren or barely stocked, and she considered herself lucky to find the last bottle of Pepto Bismol for her son to ease his stomach. She picked up the last few bottles of Pedialyte and intended to supplement it with Gatorade. Finally, she made her way to the baby aisle for arguably her most important provision. She went to the nighttime underwear section at the end of the diaper aisle and saw that it was empty, except for a couple packs of the store brand nighttime pull ups, to which she learned the hard way years ago that they almost always leaked under Ryan’s nightly floods. Even the pull ups training pants were out of stock. She turned to an employee who was stocking formula in the same aisle. “Excuse me, do you have any of the boys Goodnites in stock? Like maybe in the back?” “We don’t, sorry,” apologized the employee. “We ran out of those about a month ago. I can check our inventory requests, but I think we might be getting a new shipment in about 4 days.” “I can’t do 4 days,” Linda said with a sigh. She felt a vibration on her phone and saw a text from her husband. Are you almost done? We’re trying to get home before nightfall, we gotta get on the road soon! Be right there, she replied. She doubted Jerry would be willing to make another stop, unless it was for gas, which they probably wouldn’t need for at least a couple hours. Thinking fast, she looked at what they did have in stock, noticing what was mostly left on the shelves were the variations of Huggies, Luvs, and Pampers. Of those, the only ones she thought might even remotely fit were the Pampers Baby Dry in size 6. Linda grabbed a pack of 21 and eyeballed it, noting that while her son was several pounds above the recommended weight range, his short and slender build from his Filipino genetics should allow him to fit, noting the stretchy side tabs advertised on the package. Ryan’s probably not gonna like this, but it’s what we got, she figured. She took her grocery haul to the checkout counter and paid for her items. She kept the diapers hidden in the plastic shopping bag as she bought it into the front seat of the van with her. After a quick check of Ryan’s pull up, she determined it would safely hold up for another hour or 2, but was overall happy that he hadn’t had more diarrhea. Nonetheless, she pushed Ryan to drink a bottle of Pedialyte followed by some Gatorade to replenish his fluids. Now that she had more diapers on hand, she didn’t feel as stressed as when he was down to the last pull up. Chapter 5: Full and Heavy Changes Inevitably, as they headed up north, Jerry acknowledged that they had to stop for gas. He wasn’t too upset about it as the lack of traffic and good weather meant he was making great time and was well able to make it home before dark. As Jerry refilled the tank, Linda used the bathroom herself and took the opportunity to get some cheap coffee. Ryan waited patiently inside the van, engrossed in his sketches as Linda opened the sliding door. “Anak, come here and lie down,” she said. Ryan got out of his seat and went towards his mom and laid down on the floor of the middle row, already knowing what was coming. Linda grabbed the Walgreens bag and set it down next to her, the turquoise green top of the diaper pack sticking out of the bag. She pulled down his shorts to his ankles, but this time left them on along with his shoes. Noticing this, Ryan looked over and saw his mother tear open the package labeled Pampers Baby Dry and pull out a diaper adorned with Sesame Street characters and unfolded it open. “Wait, what happened to my Goodnites?” He asked, confused. “We ran out, you’re wearing the last of them,” she said as she ripped the sides of his pull up open. “The store was out of pull ups, and this was all they had in your size. Sorry.” She unfolded the front of his wet pull up and began to wipe away urine. “Will those even fit me? Can’t we go to a bigger store like Walmart and get some?” “They should! You used to use these when you were a toddler, you didn’t even make it to their largest size by the time you potty trained,” Linda lifted up her son’s ankles to quickly wipe his bottom and slide out the wet pull up, which she replaced with the diaper. Ryan cringed a little as his mother folded the front atop his groin and he heard the tapes open. He noticed these had a strong baby powder scent to them She gingerly placed them on the landing zone, readjusting them for better fit. Satisfied with her work, she helped her son stand up, causing him look down and see the childish designs that now displayed across his bottom and front. “There we go! A bit snug, but a perfect fit,” she commented. In his mind, Ryan hated how well it fit him, cursing his genetically small frame as his mom pulled his shorts up for him. He instinctively pulled his shirt bottom down, hoping the waistband wouldn’t stick out of his shorts like he saw on many toddlers. Linda could sense how vexed her son was as he sat back down and immediately avoided eye contact with her. “Hey,” she said, causing him to look at her. “When we finish the pack, we’ll get you your normal pull-ups when we get home, okay?” “Fine,” he said as he crossed his arms. Linda rolled up the wet pull up and threw it out at the trash can by the gas pump. She kept the Pampers package by the front seat with her next to the other items she bought from Walgreens. She grabbed another Gatorade and handed it to Ryan. “Make sure you keep drinking! You need to stay hydrated to beat this stomach bug, and when we get home, I’ll give you some medicine. We only have a couple hours left and we’re home,” she reassured. Ryan didn’t respond as he continued to drink, still a bit annoyed at his predicament, but was slowly coming to terms with it. The remainder of the trip was fairly uneventful, except for a 20 minute spat of traffic as the family got closer to the Chicagoland area. About half an hour into the final leg, Ryan felt the urge to urinate, and after letting go, was surprised at how well the Pampers did at wicking away the moisture from his body, but stopped short of admitting to himself that they might feel more comfortable than his usual Goodnites. Nonetheless, they managed to make it home with only a 10 minute delay, and just in time for the sunset as Jerry parked the van in the driveway for easier unloading. Ryan helped unload the car along with his dad while Linda unpacked the cooler to keep the contents from spoiling. She watched her son carry the heavy maleta by himself into the house, and she felt almost like she had traveled back in time as she spied the familiar sight of his diaper peaking above his shorts as he struggled to carry the suitcase, which reminded her… “Ryan! Make sure to grab your diapers from the front seat and put them in your bathroom in the usual spot!” she called out the door as he made his way back outside. “Did you hear me?” “Yes, mom,” Ryan responded with an audibly annoyed tone. He hated that she specifically said your diapers. He grabbed them from the front seat as instructed, hoping no one in the neighborhood was watching. He yawned as he entered the house, realizing it was just about to be his usual bedtime as they finished unloading and unpacking everything. “Actually Ryan, hold on. Come here first,” his mom called out from the kitchen. He yawned again as he met her at the kitchen table, pouring out Pepto Bismol into a small medicine cup. She noticed how drowsy he looked as he put down the Pampers package and finished drinking the pink liquid, looking at the time, which seemed to have flown by. “Ready for bed, sleepyhead?” “Yeah,” he answered as he rubbed his eye. “Tell you what, I know it was a long day, so I’ll let you go to bed right away just this once, as long as you promise to shower first thing in the morning, okay?” “I will,” Ryan assured. His mother smiled and bent down to kiss him on the forehead. As she did that she noticed a particular familiar scent. “Actually,” she began. “Anak, can you lie down over there for me?” She gestured to the living room floor just outside the kitchen. Ryan sighed but already expected this to happen inevitably before he went to bed anyway. Linda pulled out a diaper from the package and began unfolding it as she pulled out the baby wipes pack from her purse before walking over to Ryan who was lying down on the living room floor, making himself comfortable by placing a couch pillow under his head. She pulled his shorts off his legs, leaving Ryan to feel extra exposed with just his diaper and shirt, a sensation he never got fully used to, even though he already experienced this multiple times in the past couple days. Linda noticed how saturated the diaper looked with the wetness indicator turning blue, but was glad there were no leaks, and it appeared that it could’ve handled another one of Ryan’s floods. She took a deep breath as she untaped the tabs and pulled down the front, after which she put her hands on her hips and made a frustrated face at the semi liquid mess that confirmed her suspicions. “Ryan!” “What?” “What do you mean ‘what?’ You pooped again,” Linda chastised. “When did this happen?” “While we were stuck in traffic. And you literally said I could before if I had to! And that the bathrooms weren’t safe!” He reasoned. “I mean, I did, but why didn’t you say something? We could’ve stopped somewhere and I could’ve changed you.” “I didn’t think it would matter, we were almost home anyway. And I really couldn’t help it, honest! It just hit me again like at the Arch,” Ryan began to sit up, but his mom gently pushed him back to a lying position. “Don’t move,” she sighed as she pulled out a wipe and lifted his ankles up with her other hand. “Besides, I didn’t want dad to get mad again if we had to stop because of me,” he replied, his voice trembling a little. “I’m sorry.” “No, no. Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault,” Linda reassured after taking a deep breath, realizing that last part was true as she continued to clean up her son. “Just let me know if it happens again next time. It’s not good for you to be sitting in it for too long.” She pulled the soiled diaper out from under him and slid the fresh one in its place, gently lowering his legs back down onto it as she taped the front into place. Linda pulled Ryan to his feet and gave him a warm hug. “You know, you look so cute dressed like that,” she whispered. He immediately left her arms and embarrassingly tried to pull his shirt down. “Mooom!” “Make sure you brush your teeth before bed!” She yelled as he scurried up the stairs to the bathroom. Linda rolled up the soiled diaper and threw it away in the garage trash, followed by her bringing the open Pampers package up Ryan’s room and placing it next to his bedside table. She showered and got herself ready for bed so she could her husband in the master bedroom. Jerry was already asleep, exhausted from a long day of driving. She walked over to Ryan’s room, who was so tired, he immediately slumped onto the bed, sprawled out like a starfish, and didn’t even bother changing out of shirt, let alone putting on pajama pants. She grabbed the Tigger off the floor and put it next to his side before tucking him into the covers. The following morning, Ryan woke up once again to the familiar mushy sensation in his heavy diaper. He waddled down the stairs to see his mother in the kitchen preparing breakfast, who noticed him immediately. “Oh Anak what are you doing up so early? Go back to bed right now, you need rest to beat this stomach bug,” she said earnestly. “But mom, um,” he wasn’t sure if he wanted to mention it, but remembered what his mom said last night. “I pooped.” “Aw, it’s okay honey. Go back to your room, I’ll be up there to clean you up in a minute. Thank you for telling me,” she instructed as Ryan waddled back up to his room. He didn’t want to sit down and make the mess on his bottom worse, and he decided to stand until his mom arrived. As she stepped in the room, he laid down on the carpet without asking as Linda grabbed the baby wipes. Other than telling him to take his shirt from yesterday off, she went through her usual changing process, but took mental note how watery the consistency was of her son’s bowel movement, with most of it being absorbed by the back of the diaper, as well as how dark yellow it was stained at the front. “How’s your tummy, Anak? Has your appetite come back” “Not really, I’m still a little queasy,” he admitted. “Hmmm, I’ll get you a small bowl of oatmeal so you at least get something for breakfast. Hop in the shower and I’ll get your clothes and medicine ready too,” she said as she finished wiping him down. Ryan grabbed a towel from his drawer and wrapped it around himself as he raced to the bathroom. As he bathed, Linda took the rolled up soiled diaper and threw it in the garage trash. She washed her hands in the kitchen and prepared a small bowl of oatmeal, along with a bottle of Pedialyte and a 32 ounce bottle full of water she picked up from the hospital. She wasn’t liking how dehydrated her son was getting from the diarrhea, even if he didn’t immediately notice. Lastly, she grabbed the bottle of Pepto Bismol as she made her way back up to Ryan’s bedroom. She laid the bowl and bottles on the bedside table and grabbed a folded Lego T shirt from Ryan’s shirt drawer and placed it on his bed. She opened up the drawer where he kept his underwear and paused, ultimately deciding to close it. Ryan finished drying himself off in the bathroom and walked his toweled self back to his room, surprised to see his mom got everything ready so quickly. “Oh good you’re done! Anak come here,” she said, patting the bed. Ryan, still holding the towel around his waist, walked over and sat on the bed, which resulted in Linda gently laying him down on his pillow. She bent over next to the nightstand and pulled out a diaper from the package, unfolding it. Ryan’s eyes grew as he sat up. “Hey wait! We’re home, I can use the bathroom! It’s clean! And I’m feeling a lot better today, can’t I have my regular underwear?” “I know we’re home Anak, but I was just thinking that since you’re still sick, I want you to stay in bed today and get some rest. If you can, I want you to go back to sleep as much as possible since it will help you beat this stomach bug and help you recover faster. I also want you drinking plenty of fluids. You may not feel it, but you’re really dehydrated, and I don’t want to risk you having an unexpected accident, awake or asleep. Plus, this will help me monitor your stools,” Linda answered as she simultaneously went into mom and nurse mode. “My stools?” Ryan asked quizzically. “Your poop, Anak. I don’t think you’ve had a solid one since before the trip, and that’s not good. I know it sounds gross, but we won’t know you’ve gotten over this tummy issue until you have a solid poop,” she said nonchalantly. “Can’t I just go in the toilet while I’m awake?” He tried to reason. “Oh I would let you, Anak, but I honestly don’t want to take any chances with accidents on the bed or floor, especially with how unpredictable your stomach has been the past couple days, and I don’t want you leaving the bed a lot. If you have to go, just go and I’ll change you after, I don’t mind,” Linda said as she ripped off the towel. She lifted up Ryan’s legs and slipped the diaper under his bottom and securely taped it up. He felt extra vulnerable being naked in just a diaper, which his mom partially remedied by slipping the shirt onto him. He waited for his mom to slip shorts on, then realized there weren’t any on the bed. “Can I at least have shorts or something?” Ryan asked as he sat up. “It’s easier if you don’t honey, it’ll be easier for me to check if you’re wet and change you. It’ll also be better since it’s so hot today,” she reasoned, a fact that Ryan couldn’t argue. “I know you don’t like this, but once you’re stomach feels better and I know your poop is back to normal, you can get out of bed and wear big boy underwear again. I’ll bring you your sketchbook and I’ll let you watch shows on the iPad so you don’t get bored in bed when you’re not napping. How does that sound?” “I guess that’s okay,” Ryan compromised. Historically, his parents were strict about technology usage, determined to not have their son become one of those “iPad kids”. They only had one television in the whole house, and one laptop each for each parent’s work. They didn’t allow video games, except in the rare instance Ryan was visiting a relative or friend’s house that had a gaming system. Two things they were willing to spend money on for Ryan were books and art supplies, considering them an investment to make him more well rounded and educated. He was thankful his mom was willing to compromise on the iPad for the day; he wasn’t expecting to get a smartphone until at least high school. “Great!” Linda concluded. “Make sure you’re constantly drinking! Have a little of the oatmeal if you can too. I’ll give you some medicine in a little bit for your tummy. Try to sleep, but I’ll be checking in on you when I can.” She made her way out of the bedroom, closing the door and popping it back open almost immediately. “Use the iPad to text me if you need anything, like more water or Gatorade… or if you need to be changed.” “Okay mom, thanks, I’m good,” he said as he began to open up Disney+ on his tablet. Ryan scrolled through shows and movies with one hand while holding his water bottle with the other, aggressively sipping through the straw as he ultimately decided on The Force Awakens. After about the first 30 minutes, he nearly finished the water bottle, leading him to drink from the Pedialyte bottle, which he drank at a slightly slower pace. The movie was about to reach the final battle when Linda cracked the door open, causing Ryan to pause the film. “Everything okay? Need anything?” She asked with a smile. She saw that the water bottle was almost empty, happy to know her son was taking the hydration seriously. “Yep I’m good, mom. Thanks,” he answered quickly, eager to resume the movie. Ryan pressed play and quickly became engrossed in the action. Linda went to the bed side table and picked up the water bottle, leaving to refill it. When she returned, she decided to see if Ryan needed a change, noticing almost immediately the blue wetness indicator and that his diaper looked ready to burst. With his attention tied to the iPad in his hands, Ryan didn’t notice as his mother pulled another diaper from the package, and barely flinched as she undid the tapes on the one he was wearing, but continued to watch the movie. She unfolded the wet diaper open, and began to do a quick wipe. “Looks like someone was ready for a change,” Linda commented as she slipped out the heavy diaper and lowered his bottom onto a fresh one. “You sure went a lot.” Ryan turned red as he pretended not to hear, keeping his eyes on the film as his mom tapes up the front. “Sorry,” he said as his mom rolled up the diaper. “No, that’s a good thing! At least I know you’re hydrated,” Linda tossed it in the bedroom trash as she made her way to the door. “Try to sleep for a little bit after the movie. I’ll get you some rice for lunch later if you’re up to it.” “Okay mom,” Ryan said as the movie reached the conclusion. As the credits rolled, he locked the iPad screen and placed it next to his pillow. He spent the next 15 minutes trying to sleep, only to feel tension in his bladder, to which he quickly released from all the water and Pedialyte he was downing. Feeling more relaxed, he quickly drifted into a slumber. About an hour and a half later, Ryan woke up, feeling a familiar mush pushing against his bottom. She heard the voice of his mom talking to his dad in his parents’ bedroom across the hall. “Mom!” Ryan yelled. “Yes honey?” She called back. “Ummm, I think I need a change,” he said awkwardly. “Hang on, I’ll be right there!” Linda called back from the bedroom. Jerry was sending emails on his laptop for the upcoming work week. “You’re keeping him in nappies?” He asked as she headed for the door. “Yeah, he’s still sick, poor thing,” she answered. “Can’t he get up to use the bathroom? It’s not like we’re some germ infested public restroom.” “He can, but this is easier. I’d rather do this than pay for an expensive carpet cleaner in case he doesn’t make it,” she explained. “That’s true I suppose,” Jerry concurred. “Couldn’t you at least teach him to change himself? Changing a 9 year old isn’t exactly something most parents do at this stage in life.” “I do the laundry here, I barely trust him to wipe himself properly using the toilet,” Linda joked. “As messy as he gets, I’d rather just change him myself so it’s less headache for everyone.” “As long as I don’t have to change him,” Jerry quipped as he returned to his emails. Linda walked into Ryan’s room as he laid on his back on the bed, the iPad in his hands now the center of attention. She sniffed the air. “Sorry about that wait. Did you manage to sleep a little?,” she said as she grabbed a new diaper. “Yeah a little bit,” he answered as he decided on The Mandalorian. “I called you as soon as I woke up.” She undid the tapes and opened up the diaper, noticing how Ryan’s mess was now starting to be a little more solid in consistency. That’s a good sign, she thought as she began to wipe and replace the diaper, rolling up the old one. Ryan sat upright as he watched the show. “I’m going to pour you some medicine,” Linda said as she sanitized her hands and stood up to grab Pepto Bismol bottle on the table. She meticulously measured the proper dosage into the medicine cup, pouring some back into the bottle as she slightly poured too much after holding the measuring lines up to the light. Once she got the portion right, she turned back to her son, noticing out of the corner of her eye that his wetness indicator was already blue, but the diaper itself wasn’t too saturated. Really? I literally just changed you a second ago, she thought to herself as Ryan sipped the medicine cup and resumed the episode. She decided she’d check back on him in about an hour or so, not wanting to waste another diaper. When she returned to his room, Linda saw her son passed out, laying on his side with tablet in hand, with the show still playing. She took the iPad and plugged it into the charger, taking the opportunity to gently pat her son’s diapered bottom, noticing that while it was a little full, she was surprised there wasn’t a distinctive mush. She decided to go to the master bedroom and take a nap herself before tackling the next task of making dinner. Linda woke up an hour later, deciding to drop by Ryan’s room to see if he was still asleep. Inside, she saw him sitting up crisscross applesauce with the sketchbook and colored pencils in hand, the tablet still on the charger. She walked over to the nightstand and cleared the empty Pedialyte bottles and took the half empty water bottle. “How are you feeling, honey?” “Better! A lot better, actually,” Ryan said enthusiastically. “Looks like the medicine and rest is working,” she said happily as she left the room. Linda topped off the water bottle and placed it next to him on the bedside table. She saw how droopy her son’s diaper had become after the lengthy nap. “Looks like someone needs a diaper change too!” She playfully pulled his legs across the bed, causing him to fall back onto his pillow and nearly dropping the sketchbook. “Hey! I was working on that!” He said with a chuckle. “Looks like you were working hard on your hydration too,” she said as she undid the tapes once again and unfolded the soaked front of the diaper. She was half surprised to see no diarrhea accidents after this nap. “Good job honey! You weren’t poopy this time when you woke up,” she congratulated as Ryan covered his face in embarrassment. “Tummy feeling better?” She asked as she did a quick job of wiping. “Yes,” Ryan answered through his hands. “Good! Looks like you’re finally on the mend,” she said as she finished taping up the new diaper. “You think you’re up to some bananas and applesauce in a little bit?” Linda asked as she tossed the wet diaper in his trash. She noticed it was getting full, and proceeded to tie the plastic liner up and replace it. “Yeah, I’m actually feeling a little hungry now,” he admitted. “Coming right up!” She said cheerfully as she walked out of the room. Ryan put his sketchbook away and grabbed his tablet from the charger. He searched up Avengers: Endgame and pressed play on the lengthy movie, sipping from a Gatorade as the film commenced. A few minutes later, his mom returned with a small pack of apple sauce with a spoon and a banana, to which Ryan enthusiastically consumed, alternating with regular sips of water and Gatorade. During the last 45 minutes of the movie, Ryan felt a pressure in his stomach that he ignored. After a few minutes, the tension suddenly rose to the point he couldn’t ignore it. Realizing what he had to do, he called for his mom, and heard no answer. Ryan paused the movie and texted his mother using the messenger app on his iPad. Mom, can you come up please? he texted. After a few seconds, the typing bubble appeared, shortly followed by a response. I’m on a Zoom call for work, can you wait a bit? I kind of have to go, he texted back. Is it number 2? She asked. Yes, it’s kind of an emergency, Ryan texted back. Anak, you have your diaper, Linda texted in response. Ryan wasn’t sure how to respond to that when his mom’s typing bubble appeared again. I’ll be up in a about 30-45 minutes. The conversation showed that Linda enabled silent mode so the notifications wouldn’t distract her from the conference call. Ryan began to sweat; conflicted as to what to do as the pressure in his abdomen started to become unbearable. He contemplated running to the bathroom, but he didn’t want his mom to yell at him for getting out of bed, let alone get caught by his father. Realizing his only option, Ryan sighed as he knew what he had to do. He unpaused the movie, midway through the action of the climactic final battle. He first sat upright to relieve some tension, only to stand on his bed a second later, trying to use the movie as a distraction. He squatted down as the pressure in his bowels became increasingly unbearable, finally giving up as he released some gas, followed rapidly by what felt like warm sludge spilling into the seat of his Pampers. He grunted, releasing another quick wave until he felt empty, inadvertently releasing a stream of urine in the process. Ryan turned to view his backside, seeing a noticeable bulge now evident protruding from his bottom. He sighed, realizing this was his first time deliberately soiling himself while awake, not counting the Arch incident, as he counted that as a legitimate accident. Not wanting to make a bigger mess for his mom to clean up, Ryan laid on his belly and continued to watch the movie until his mother finished her call. Outside his room, Jerry happened to walk by and caught a good whiff of the smell emanating from his son’s room. Not wanting to deal with it himself, he went downstairs to find his wife, who was wrapping up the Zoom meeting. She turned off her microphone as Jerry entered the frame behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. “What is it?” She asked. “I think Ryan needs his nappy changed,” he said bluntly. “I know, I’ll be done in 10 minutes,” Linda assured. “Unless you want to change him yourself.” Back in his room, Ryan watched the end credits begin to roll as his mom knocked and entered the room. “Sorry for the wait, Anak,” the scent of the air hit her nose. “Ooh, your dad wasn’t kidding! Lie down!” Ryan put his iPad down and tried to ignore his mom’s comment as he started to flip onto his back, only to get stopped last second as he felt a hand gently pat his diapered bottom. “On the floor, please. That’s a really full nappy, and I don’t want to make a mess on your bedsheets.” Ryan made his way to the floor, rolling his eyes at her remark, thinking she was sounding like dad. Linda prepared by pre-pulling out some baby wipes and pulling out a diaper from the pack. “Wait,” Ryan said as she began to open up the fresh diaper. He had a stare of concentration as he relaxed and felt warm wetness pool into his Pampers, taking a few seconds to absorb. “Okay.” “Are you sure you’re done?” She said, trying to conceal a chuckle. “Yeah… sorry,” he said, covering his face again in embarrassment. “You’re okay, honey,” Linda assured, taking a deep breath as she ripped open the tapes and pulled back the front. “Ooh that’s a lot,” she commented as she noted how much of a solid load she had to clean up, lifting up Ryan’s legs by the ankles. “On the bright side, honey, I think it’s more than safe to say your stomach bug is gone.” After a few minutes of wiping, she laid Ryan’s bottom down on the fresh diaper and closed it up with the tapes. “There we go, I bet that feels much better,” she said as she smoothed out the last tape and made sure the leak guards weren’t bunched up. She placed the soiled diaper and used wipes in the plastic bag, tying it shut to keep the smell out. Ryan sat up as Linda finished sanitizing her hands. “Tell you what Ryan, if you last the whole night without your nappy getting poopy while you sleep, I think we can definitively say you’re not sick anymore by tomorrow morning. You can go back to using big boy underwear during the day, and using the normal potty, plus you won’t be stuck in bed all day. Does that sound fair?” She proposed. It didn’t take Ryan long to agree, despite cringing internally at the the childish verbiage she decided to use for the deal. “Can I go back to using pull ups too?” He added. “Like I said before, after we finish this pack, I’ll get you your normal Goodnites, unless of course you’re able to stay dry at night too,” Linda said as she stood up to go make dinner. “Deal,” Ryan said, somewhat content with the arrangement.

Does anyone have any modifications they do for pull ups?

For us day time wearers, I just keeping searching for the perfect pull up.

In the Lifeboat episode, after they ran into the beach at full speed, they are getting the helmsman onto a flat board.

Trent Michaels was your average 28 year old guy. He had a good income, and

I am pretty much wearing my first adult diaper ever! If I was honest with myself, I always wanted to wear a diaper. I frequently wear them when I dream at night. When I was eight , I got my mother to buy me a pack of Goodnites. My father caught my in them and he may me take them off. I didn't wear again. I am now 24. When I was 22, I started to find BDSM appealing. As time went on, I found myself fantasizing about being dominated more and more. Some of those fantasies involve wearing diapers, being spanked, and being told I'm naughty. A few days ago, I started making 'diapers' using multiple pads (like ten thin ones). Wearing that felt good, but I didn't know I should have avoided flooding the 'diaper,' and the results were not good. Since I wanted to try out 'the real deal,' finally decided to order some Tena heavy protection underwear and some Tena serenity overnight pads early yesterday morning. I requested one day shipping. They came and I'm wearing a diaper and a pad right now! I decided to dribble a bit, and it seems as if I were to pee more, urine might spill over the back of the diaper's pad. I will most likely try again while sitting on the toilet and I may move my pad back a bit. I'm surprised by how relaxed I feel. I thought it would just feel nice to be padded, but I never expected to feel so relaxed. I will be posting some pictures wearing the diaper underneath some jeans and sweatpants. Though I'm aware one kind of diaper may fit everyone differently, I think it might be helpful for others to see what the diaper might look like under pants.