Secret Needs Part 2

[llsadmin]

Chapter 6The following morning everyone was up early. Josie was feeling a little better but she was still pouting over what had happened. The fact that she was sporting a large bruise on the side of head didn’t help matters any. She had already eaten breakfast and gone back to her room. Ty and Eddie came down shortly afterward and were sitting at the table eating breakfast.“How’s dad?” Ty asked.“He’ll be home shortly,” his mother answered evasively.“Did he already leave?” he persisted.“No, Ty. Dad stayed at Aunt June and Uncle Henry’s last night.”“Why? Is he still mad at me? Does he hate me?”“No, Ty. Don’t even think such a thing. Something else is bothering dad. His reactions yesterday were way out of proportion. I don’t know what the real problem is but I promise that I’m going to find out. Everything is going to be fine.”Melinda hoped that she could back up that promise with results. It was only seven-thirty but she decided to call her mother-in-law whom she knew to be an early riser. She had always enjoyed a good relationship with her and she hoped that Luke’s mother could give her some insight into Luke’s puzzling behavior.“Good morning, Sarah. This is Melinda. How are you today?” Melinda tried to sound cheery.“Just fine, thanks. It looks like it’s going to be a glorious day but you never call this early in the morning to talk about the weather. What’s up? I hope nothing is wrong.”“I’m afraid something is wrong. Don’t worry. Everyone is in good health- it’s just that Luke and I are having a problem. I really feel the need to talk to you. Do you have time today for us to get together?”“Of course, dear. When and where?”“Luke isn’t home right now. Would right away be convenient?”“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”“Sarah, as usual, you’re a lifesaver. First, though, I have something to tell you.”Melinda quickly summarized how Tyler had been caught wearing his cousin’s diapers and plastic pants and that he had asked to wear them full time again. Before she could go any further, her mother-in-law interrupted.“And Luke has completely fallen apart over this. Right?”“Yes, that’s right. His behavior is totally irrational. It’s as if he’s completely disowned Tyler.” Melinda admitted.“Oh, dear. Yes, we do need to talk. However, what you’ve just shared with me changes things slightly. I’ll have to postpone our talk until ten o’clock.”Melinda was tremendously relieved. Her mother-in-law was a competent woman who could be relied upon to give sound advice. She hoped that Luke would not arrive home before she had a chance to talk to the elder Mrs. Hardymon.“That was grandma Hardymon I was talking to on the phone. She’s coming over later.” Ty shot a worried look in his mother’s direction. “She already knows about your diapers. There won’t be any problem there. Now, if you guys are finished with breakfast it’s time for your showers.” Melinda told Eddie and Ty. “Call me when you’re ready to be put into fresh diapers.”This was an invitation neither boy was going to fight. As much as they adored their wet diapers, the feel of being freshly powdered and pinned into soft clean diapers was indescribable. With each diaper change the boys found it harder and harder to hide the pleasure that they were feeling.A short time later both boys were showered and diapered. Eddie had to borrow a shirt and some socks from Ty. Melinda took special notice that they selected t-shirts that Ty had more-or-less outgrown, giving them a younger more toddler-like look.A little after eight-thirty, Mark Haddlin was at the door.“Is Ty home?” he inquired.“He’s in the den with Eddie,” Mrs. Hardymon answered, inviting him into the house.Ty and Eddie heard the exchange between Mark and Ty’s mother and were happy that Mark had shown up. They went up to Ty’s room.“So, what are you guys going to do today?” Mark asked.“I’m not sure,” Eddie answered first. “I spent the night here and haven’t talked to my mom yet. I’m not sure if she’s got stuff for me to do.”“My grandmother is coming over in a little while. I’m not sure either.” Ty chose not to mention the events of the previous night. He was pretty sure that this was why his grandmother was coming over.“Oh,” Mark answered, disappointment in his voice.“Why, do you have any ideas?” Eddie pressed.“No. I thought we could just hang out together, that’s all.”“OK.” Eddie agreed. “Do you want to try on a diaper now or do you want to wait until later?”“What? Are you crazy? I don’t want to wear diapers.”Then last night why did you say, and I quote, ‘I sure wouldn’t want to be seen in them around the neighborhood,even though I think it would be really kewl to wear diapers, too’.” Ty pressed his friend.Mark’s answered astounded them.“I knew that I had made a mistake as soon as I said it. I was hoping that you wouldn’t pick up on it. Ever since we moved into the neighborhood I’ve been jealous of Bryin getting to wear them. And, yesterday, when my mom said that you were wearing them, too… well, I was really jealous of all three of you.”“You still haven’t answered the question. Now or later?” Eddie repeated.“No! I can’t. Not here. Not now. What if Ty’s mom comes in?”“She always knocks first,” Ty assured him. “You can run into my bathroom until she leaves. There’s nothing to worry about.”“No, I can’t,” Mark insisted.“Why not? You said you wanted to. Aren’t you going to hate yourself later on for not taking advantage of the opportunity you have right now?” Eddie pointed out.“You’ll laugh,” Mark said.“How can we laugh? We’re already in diapers and plastic pants,” Eddie retorted.“I can’t… I’m too embarrassed to tell you why,” Mark said hesitantly.Eddie thought he understood.“Oh, that! Ty and I get excited all the time when we put diapers on. Don’t be shy.”“Well…” Mark agreed reluctantly.“Come on, get your pants and underwear off. Ty will get a towel for you to lay on,” Eddie prodded.Mark complied as Ty went into his bathroom to retrieve a towel which he spread out on the bed.“Lie down on this,” Ty directed. “And take your shirt off, too. I have some better ones for wearing with diapers.” (By this he meant smaller and shorter ones that would show off a greater amount of the diaper and plastic pants.)Mark cooperated fully, although clearly embarrassed by his mounting excitement. They powdered his diaper area, front and back. He lifted up so that they could slide the diaper under him. In just a few more moments, four diapers pins held the thick flannel diaper securely in place.“Wow!” was all that Mark could manage as he rubbed his hands over the thick, soft diaper.“Wait until you get your plastic pants on,” Ty said excitedly. “Then you’ll really know how great it feels!”He took a new pair of his plastic pants and carefully slid them over Mark’s shoes and then up and over his diaper. After Mark stood up, Eddie and Ty checked for stray material that wasn’t completely tucked into the plastic pants.“Have you got a mirror?” Mark practically begged.“Sure, open the closet door,” Ty answered.Mark wanted to scream with delight but he knew that that would cause Mrs. Hardymon to come and investigate. He beamed as he turned every which way, examining his diapered bottom.“This is so kewl,” he murmured to himself. “Finally!”“I guess you’re not too disappointed,” Eddie teased.Mark began giggling as he stared at his reflection. “I really am doing it! I’m wearing real diapers and plastic pants!” His urge to scream was building up and his voice grew louder and louder.“Sshh! Keep your voice down,” Ty warned. “You don’t want my mom or my sister to hear, do you?”Mark quieted down and joined the other two boys on the floor.“I wish I could wear these forever,” Mark sighed. “You guys are so lucky.”“Yeah , we know what you mean,” Eddie commiserated. “I’m sorry you can’t join us all the time.”There was a knock at the door. Mark ran into Ty’s bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.“Yes?” Ty invited.“Eddie your mom is here. Can we come in?”“Sure.”Melinda and Bunny came into the room carrying boxes.“Eddie’s mom had a good idea this morning. She cleaned out all of Eddie’s underwear and pants that he won’t need anymore or that won’t fit over his diapers. The Salvation Army truck will be at the supermarket in about an hour to pick up donations. Let’s get your room cleaned out too. We can’t leave these diapers sitting here on the floor forever.”“OK,” the boys agreed.“Good, you guys start in the closet and Mrs. Pfelgaur and I will start here in your room. Do you have any clothes in your bathroom?”“No!” Ty practically screamed from the closet. “I mean, ‘No’,” he repeated in a more normal voice.Mark heard this exchange through the door and he prayed that Mrs. Hardymon wouldn’t come in and discover him. Luckily, she didn’t. With nothing to do but sit on the floor and wait, he became bored. Soon, he became conscious of an overwhelming urge to pee. After a couple of minutes of intense concentration he managed to start a small trickle. This quickly became a heavy flow as his bladder emptied itself. He hoped that the diaper would absorb everything he was giving it. (In fact, it could have easily taken two more heavy wettings.) Once again it was only with an great effort at self-control that Mark was able to sit quietly. What he really wanted was to scream at the top of his lungs that he had just peed his diaper and that he was proud of it!“There, I think that’s everything,” Mrs. Hardymon announced. “Ty, you’re going to need all new pants and shorts. Oh, and I wish you’d check your pockets for money before taking your pants off. I put what I found on the dresser.”Ty really didn’t know what she was talking about. But if she had found some money in his pants pockets who was he to complain?“OK, guys, help me carry these boxes down to the car. I want to deliver them right away.” Mrs. Pfelgaur announced.“By the way,” Ty’s mom asked, “did Mark leave already? Was he disappointed in you guys because of your diapers.”“No, he was kewl with it,” Ty answered. “I guess he had somewhere to go.”They went downstairs. The boxes of old clothes were loaded into the car. Mrs. Pfelgaur remembered to have Eddie fetch his new diapers and plastic pants from the den where they were sitting since last night. In the meantime, Mrs. Hardymon put Ty’s dirty shirts and socks into the washer.Ty and Eddie went back upstairs to rescue Mark and to devise a plan to get him out of the house unseen.“Mark, you can come out now- the coast is clear.”Mark cautiously emerged from the bathroom suddenly aware of the heaviness of his pee-soaked diaper.“Boy, that was close. I have to leave now. My mom said I could only stay a little while. She needs me to help her deliver some stuff to the old folks home for their white elephant sale. What did you do with my shirt and pants?”“Uh, oh,” Ty and Eddie said simultaneously.Their moms had come in so suddenly that they hadn’t had time to hide Mark’s pants and shirt. Who was going to tell him that his pants had been given away to the Salvation Army?“I’ve got some bad news,” Ty started hesitantly. “Your pants aren’t here.”“Not here?! Where are they?”“My mom must have put them in the Salvation Army box and Eddie’s mom has already gone to drop them off.” Ty explained.“You mean you just let your mom give my pants away? Those pants were practically brand new! My mom’s going to have a fit.” Mark said, panicking. “I guess I’ll have to borrow a pair of yours. If my mom notices I’ll tell her that I spilled something and that you loaned me a pair of yours.”“You can’t have any of my pants,” Ty said. “What I mean is, I don’thaveany pants. All of mine are gone- pants, shorts, underwear, even my bathing suits.”“What about you, Eddie? Can’t you get something from your house?”“My mom said that all my stuff was packed in the car, just like Ty’s. I don’t have anything either.”“But, I’ve got to get home. I need some pants, I need to get out of this diaper!”Mrs. Hardymon was returning from checking on Josie (who was still asleep as a result of the medication she was taking) when she heard Mark Haddlin’s voice coming from Ty’s room. She stopped and listened. Yes, it was him. She knocked.Mark bounded back into the bathroom and closed the door, but not as gently as last time. Outside in the hallway Mrs. Hardymon distinctly heard the sound of the bathroom door. She walked a few steps down the hall and grabbed a few towels from the linen closet. Something was going on in Ty’s bathroom and she was going to find out what it was.“Yes?” Ty’s voice floated through the door.“It’s mom. I’m coming in.”“OK.”“How are you guys doing?” she asked innocently.“Fine,” they answered.Ty eyed the towels she was carrying.“Are those for my bathroom?” he asked.“Yes, I want to do some laundry and I’m sure that you boys made a mess of the towels this morning.”“I’ll do it,” Ty said anxiously.“That’s alright. I’ve got it,” she said walking past him.Mark was becoming frantic. It sounded like Mrs. Hardymon intended to come into the bathroom. He jumped into the tub and, as quietly as possible, pulled the shower curtain closed. At that same moment the door opened.“Just as I thought,” Mrs. Hardymon said over her shoulder to Ty and Eddie. “When will you guys learn not to throw towels on the floor? Couldn’t you try using a towel rack at least once?”Ty and Eddie were amazed. Where was Mark?“Also, how many time do I have to ask you to make sure the curtain stays inside the tub,” she admonished Ty. “Look at this water all over the floor,” she said mopping it up with the dirty towels.Mark’s heart was pounding, the thumping loud in his ears. She was mere inches away from him as she adjusted the curtain to make it hang inside the tub. Suddenly, she pulled the curtain back. (Even though she acted surprised, she fully expected to find Mark.) He froze in terror -his eyes becoming saucer-sized- as he focused on her. He tried to use his hands to hide his bulging diaper and plastic pants, which was as effective as trying to hide an elephant behind a mouse. Mrs. Hardymon sized up in an instant what was going on.“Tyler Adam Hardymon! I won’t have it… You know better than to lie to me!”“No, mom, it’s not what you think...” He stopped right there because there was no innocent way to explain why Mark, dressed in a diaper and plastic pants, was hiding in the bathroom.“It was only yesterday that I found out that your cousin was secretly supplying you with diapers and already you’re doing the same for your friends,” she said hotly.Meanwhile, Mark was losing it. His knees started shaking uncontrollably and he began to pee his diaper for a second time.“I see that no one has to teach you how to use a diaper,” Mrs. Hardymon commented, quite aware of what he was doing.Mark was mortified. He was frantically trying to stop the flow of urine but it was hopeless; he had lost all control. Finally, his bladder emptied. Tears started overflowing his eyes. Mrs. Hardymon took some tissue from the dispenser and handed it to him.“The damage is done, Mark. There’s no use crying now.”She led the still shaken boy back into the bedroom.“Ty, get out your diaper supplies. Mark needs a change.”“No, thank you, Mrs. Hardymon. I can do it myself,” Mark pleaded.“Really?” Mrs. Hardymon asked skeptically. “And did you put on your own diaper earlier?”“No,” Mark admitted.“And when was the last time you put on your own diaper?”“Never.”By the time Mrs. Hardymon had ended her questioning, Ty had everything set out. A few seconds later Mark was stretched out on the bed. In this prone position he knew that his diaper and plastic pants were even more prominent. He began to cry silent tears again.“Ty, Mark needs more tissue,” Mrs. Hardymon said as she started changing Mark’s soggy diaper.After he had handed them to Mark she turned her attention to Tyler, “You know how much your dad and I hate it when you do things behind our backs. Aren’t you in enough trouble with dad already?”She didn’t really mean to add this last comment. It just slipped out. She regretted making reference to what happened between Tyler and his dad as soon as she said it. Trying to backtrack, she added, “Well, that’s not important now. From the little I overheard of your conversation I take it that Mark’s pants were given away along with your stuff. That’s just great. Now, how do you suppose we can explain that to Mark’s parents? Not to mention that we have nothing else to give him except more diapers and plastic pants!”By now Mrs. Hardymon had undressed Mark and was in the process of cleaning his diaper area. Despite his embarrassment at Mrs. Hardymon seeing him naked below the waist, he was beginning to calm down. But, Mrs. Hardymon’s blunt assessment of the situation had made him nervous about what his parents would say when they found out. He was also feeling guilty about getting his friends into trouble.“Mrs. Hardymon, don’t be mad at Ty,” he said looking up at her as she was pinning on his diaper. “It’s really all my fault. I begged him to let me try on the diaper and plastic pants. I shouldn’t have hidden in the bathroom earlier, and again, right now. My pants would still be here if I had faced the consequences right at the start. I apologize for my behavior and for trying to hide it from you.”Mrs. Hardymon would have been impressed by Mark’s maturity if only she wasn’t pinning him into a thick diaper. The absurdity of the whole situation suddenly struck her. She began to laugh.“I’m sorry Mark. I’m not laughing at you or what you said. But just look around the room- three teenaged boys wearing diapersby their own choice. Besides, all of you look rather cute in your diapers and puffy plastic pants.”Eddie started giggling, followed by Ty and lastly by Mark. The first wave of tension was dissipated. Mrs. Hardymon helped Mark get into his plastic pants.“Well, Mark, I’m afraid that I have to call your mom and dad and tell them what’s happened. I already promised to call your mom to explain about Ty and Eddie’s diapers. I suppose she’ll be surprised to learn that you’re part of the story now.” Seeing Mark’s glum face she added, “Years from now this will be one of those funny family stories that your children will never believe.”Mark was aghast at the thought. “I willnevertell my children about this,” he prophesied.“Let’s go call now. I’m expecting company soon,” she said, referring to her mother-in-law’s imminent visit.Mark dialed the phone and Mrs. Hardymon spoke to Mrs. Haddlin. She started out telling the story of Mark’s misfortune in a light and breezy way, as if she were telling a funny story. However, it soon became obvious that Mrs. Haddlin was not amused. Mrs. Hardymon became serious as she finished the story. Mrs. Hardymon hung up the phone.“Mark, your mother says that she still needs you to help deliver the white elephant sale donations. She’ll be here in a few minutes to pick you up.“Did she sound mad?” Mark asked nervously.“I guess so. A little. I can understand how she could be shocked,” she said looking at Ty.Mark looked thoroughly dejected.“She’s going to kill me,” Mark lamented. “And if she doesn’t, my dad will.”“Now, Mark, don’t be overly dramatic. She’ll calm down. Everything will be alright,” she said encouragingly.Unfortunately, she didn’t really believe it. She thought that Mark was in for some serious trouble for a little while. “Now who’s being overly dramatic?” she thought to herself. “I’ve known Martha Haddlin for twenty-five years. She’ll discipline Mark in a thoroughly reasonable way.”The boys went back up to Ty’s room while Melinda continued straightening up downstairs. A short while later the doorbell rang. It was Mark’s mother.“Hi, Melinda. Is Mark ready to leave?”“I guess so, Martha. He’s upstairs with Eddie and Ty.”The boys were already on their way down. When Mark heard the doorbell he had presumed that it was his mother. “I may as well get this over with,” he said. “I hope she brought some pants for me to wear.”Martha took one look at Mark and felt her blood pressure go up. However, she controlled herself so as not to create a scene in Melinda’s house.“OK, Mark. Let’s go. We’ve got to get our donations delivered right away.”From her tone of voice Mark could sense his mother’s anger. Still, he had to ask his question.“Did you bring pants for me to wear? You know…, to cover up the diaper and plastic pants.”“No, I didn’t. As I understand it, you begged to be put into that diaper and plastic pants, now you can wear them. So, stop stalling, I need your help.”Mark was in shock.“You’re going to make me go out in public in just diapers and plastic pants!” he shrieked.“Did you ask to wear them?” Martha asked as calmly as she could.Mark didn’t answer.“Well, did you?” she asked a little louder.“Ye..Yes,” Mark answered.“So, there you have it. I see no reason to punish you by taking away the clothes you asked for. We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s go.”She grabbed Mark by the wrist and practically dragged him out of the house. It was a good thing for Mark that he had emptied his bladder a short while earlier. Who knows what his mother would have done if he had flooded them at that very moment?Ty and Eddie watched Mark and his mom get into the van. They sat there for a few minutes. Mrs. Haddlin seemed to be lecturing Mark sternly.“Wow, and we thought our mom’s reaction to diapers was severe,” Ty said. “I wonder if she really is going to make Mark go out in public in his diaper and plastic pants?”“Yeah, I wonder,” Eddie agreed. “One thing is for sure- Mark is definitely in for a bad day.”“I think he’s going to be lucky if all he has isonebad day,” Ty concluded.Despite the embarrassment they had felt yesterday when they had gone out to buy their own diapers, Ty and Eddie felt intrigued by the idea of going out in public in just diapers and plastic pants. However, neither Ty nor Eddie said anything about it.Chapter 7It wasn’t even ten o’clock in the morning and Mrs. Hardymon already felt like she had had an exhausting day. “What’s up with these boys and their diapers?” she wondered. “How come her nephew, her son, and his two friends are so strongly attracted to them? Had she made a mistake when Tyler was five and she put him back into thick overnight diapers to try to encourage him to become dry? No sense wasting energy trying to figure that one out,” she concluded. “Some things are simply inexplicable.”The doorbell rang and she went to greet her mother-in-law. The elder Mrs. Hardymon carried a large manila envelope with her.“How are you doing, Melinda?” she asked with concern.“I’m doing OK. The morning has been hectic but we can talk about that later.”“Is Luke home?”“No, not yet. I’m really not surprised since it seems that he had several beers last night. He’s not used to drinking so I’m sure he must have a terrible hangover this morning.”“Well, his stupid behavior deserves no better, if you ask me.”At another time, Melinda might felt disloyal agreeing with her mother-in-law’s rather harsh judgment. Today, however, she chose not to disagree with it.“I’m rather glad that you arrived before he did, though. I got the feeling earlier that you had a good idea of what might be troubling him.”“Yes, dear, I’m sure that I do. Before we talk I would like you to read what’s inside here,” Sarah said pulling out a thick wad of paper from the envelope. “Sit here and read,” Sarah suggested. “Is Tyler in his room? Do you think he would mind if I went up to say hello?”Melinda was already involved in her reading and she gave a distracted, “Go on up. I’m sure he’d like to see you.”Sarah knocked on her grandson’s door.“Honey, it’s grandma. May I come in?”“Uh, sure,” Ty answered in a quiet voice.She entered and could see that he was nervous about her first reaction. She had already decided that she would acknowledge his diaper wearing right away and then let him know that she accepted him however he wanted to dress.“Well, don’t I get a hug this morning?” she asked enthusiastically.Relief swept over his face as he realized that his grandmother wasn’t going to lecture him about his diapers. In fact, what she did caught him by surprise. After hugging him and kissing him on the cheek she gave his bottom a couple of approving pats and asked, “So, tell me, are you glad that your mom caught you wearing your cousin’s diapers?”He hadn’t thought of things in that perspective so he didn’t quite know how to answer.“I’m sorry,” his grandmother backtracked, “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”“It’s OK, grandma. I just hadn’t thought of it that way. Now that you ask, yes I am happy to be able to wear diapers all the time. I just wish that dad didn’t hate me now.”“Don’t even think such a thing. That’s just not true,” his grandmother reassured him. “That’s why I’ve come over here today. There are some things that your dad and I have to talk about. After your dad comes home, I hope we can all sit down together and do something to help him.”“Did dad do something bad? Is he in trouble?”“Oh. No nothing like that. I didn’t mean to scare you. This is more personal. Today, your dad is going to need you to help him grow up a little bit. Can I count on you?”“Of course,” Ty said unhesitatingly.“Good. I knew that you would say that.”The elder Mrs. Hardymon went back downstairs to see if he daughter-in-law had finished with the contents of the envelope. She had indeed read all the papers and was sitting pensively awaiting Sarah’s return.“This explains so much,” Melinda said. “Ever since I’ve known Luke there were certain things in his behavior that I found odd. Nothing extreme, of course, just odd. Now I know where they come from. Thank you.”“Oh no, please don’t thank me. I should have told you these things years ago. But Luke was always adamant that they weren’t important any more. I think that yesterday proved otherwise. We’ve got to make sure that Luke doesn’t drive a wedge between himself and Tyler.”“I agree completely. But how?” Melinda wondered.“I’ve given that some thought since we spoke this morning. I’m no psychologist but it seems to me that Luke is acting like a thirteen year old again because he’s never allowed himself to admit his weaknesses. Again, I blame myself because I let him and his father railroad me into believing that everything would somehow magically go away. I never actually believed that, and now I feel guilty for not acting sooner. When Luke gets home I’ll lay my cards on the table,” she said pointing to the papers lying in front of her, “and we’ll go from there. I expect that Luke will be upset with me but it will be worth it if gets him back on track with Tyler. It frightens me terribly that Tyler is beginning to think that his father doesn’t love him anymore over such a silly thing as wanting to wear diapers.”“What if it doesn’t work?” Melinda worried.“I don’t know,” Sarah admitted. “I really don’t know.”Luke didn’t get home. for another forty-five minutes. He didn’t look very well. His drinking binge the night before left him much the worse for wear. If he was surprised to see his mother he didn’t show it. He was an intensely private person and even though he knew that his wife must be upset with him over his behavior last night he hoped that his mother was unaware of it. He didn’t have to wait long to find out that not only was she aware of it but that it was the cause of her visit this morning.“Luke,” his mother said, “will you join Melinda and me? We have some thing to discuss.”Almost before he had settled onto the couch, she thrust the medical records toward him. Since he had never seen them before he was momentarily confused. As awareness dawned on him he looked pleadingly toward his mother. ‘Don’t reveal these to my family,’ his gaze seemed to say. His mother, however, was determined to have the truth exposed once and for all.“Luke, Melinda has already read them. As a nurse she clearly understands what they mean. Isn’t it time that you lower your defenses and let your wife and family know everything there is to know about your past?”Whatever reaction either of them had expected it wasn’t the one they got. Luke’s eyes pooled up with tears that began streaming down his face. He slowly rocked back and forth, his body racked by sobs.“Why can’t you leave this in the past?” he gasped. “No one needs to know. It’s all over, forgotten, healed.”“If it’s healed, why did you turn on your son last night?” Sarah demanded.“I was drunk.”“You haven’t gotten drunk in the fifteen years we’ve been married,” Melinda pointed out.“That’s right,” Sarah agreed. “Why did you get drunk last night?”“Because…, because it all came back to me… how kids can treat you when you’re different… even when it’s not your fault. Tyler doesn’t know- I’ve got to make him understand, to stop him.”“So far, you’ve only managed to hurt him. He’s no longer sure if you love or hate him. He understands perfectly well that his wanting to wear diapers makes him different from his friends. Your actions are making him think that he is unlovable for what he has chosen. Is that what you want him to believe?”“No, of course not. But what does all this stuff from the past have to do with anything?” he challenged.Melinda answered the question.“Now that I’ve read your file I can see that many things are unchanged- physically, that is. You didn’t tell me the whole truth when you said you needed pads in your underwear to prevent embarrassment from ‘slight dripping’. Also, I now understand why you get up about five times a night. It has nothing to do with chronic insomnia, you trained yourself to do that, didn’t you? You may have spent years kidding yourself that your problem had gone away but I can see that it hasn’t- and you know it, too. Why can’t you trust me? Us- your family?”This last part sounded accusatory and she wished that she hadn’t asked it but it couldn’t be taken back. Melinda wanted to close up the distance between herself and her husband. She went over to the couch and sat beside him. When he made no motion to reject her, she placed her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. He meekly complied. Her gentle stroking of his hair was deeply comforting.“Thank you,” he whispered as he straightened himself up. “Now what?”Neither Melinda nor Sarah wanted to push him too hard, especially since he seemed to be moving in a favorable direction.“OK,” he said as much to himself as to his wife and mother, “I guess I’ve got to talk to Tyler and Josie. The sooner the better, I think. Are they home?”Melinda explained that Tyler was in his room and that Josie had not come down yet. Luke decided that he wanted to speak to Ty alone. He went up to his son’s room and knocked.“Yeah?”“It’s me,” his dad announced. “Can I come in? I’d like to talk to you.”“Sure,” he answered uncertainly. He suddenly felt embarrassed about his diaper and plastic pants.Sitting down on the bed Luke invited Ty to join him.“Son, I’m really sorry about my behavior toward you and Eddie last night. It will never happen again, I promise. I love you very much and I never want to lose you. I hope you can forgive me.”Ty was touched by his dad’s sincerity. He willingly accepted his dad’s hug and hugged him back harder than he could ever remember doing before.“Now,” his dad said, “I’d like to tell you and Josie some stories about me when I was a kid. I know that they’re not an excuse for how I acted, but I hope that it will help you understand me better.”“Sure,” Ty answered eagerly. It was funny but his embarrassment about his dad seeing him in his diaper was suddenly gone.Sarah was waiting alone in the den. Ty and his father sat next to each other on the couch. Melinda returned a minute later and announced that Josie felt a lot better and that she would be down soon. The few minutes they spent waiting for Josie were a little awkward but Sarah managed to keep the conversation going. Josie arrived and Luke cleared his throat nervously.“I have always told you kids that whenever you have a problem you should come and talk to me or mom. I have told you that in a family we share each other’s problems so that they become easier to bear. For a long time I’ve had a problem that I haven’t shared with you the way I should have. I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you and mom.”He paused, unsure of how to continue. He didn’t want Ty and Josie to pity him; he wanted them to learn the value of trust. Perhaps he had waited too long to try to teach them this lesson. “Well,” he thought to himself, “whatever happens, I hope I don’t mess my kids up by what I’m about to share with them.”“Let me start at the end, OK? Ty, I reacted to Eddie and you the way I did last night because you reminded me of something from my childhood and teenage years.I wore diapers and plastic pants all the time until I was fifteen because I needed to.In fact, I should never have stopped. Let me explain.”Ty and Josie were shocked. It appeared that Ty wanted to say something but his dad asked him to hold off until he finished his story. He went on to explain the he was born with a condition that caused him to have an underdeveloped bladder and extremely weak urinary control. At the age of fifteen, his ability to control his bladder was no better than it had been when he was six months old. Even now, it was hardly any better.“Why did you stop wearing them?” Ty asked.“I felt ashamed at being so weak,” he answered immediately.“And I blame myself for that,” the elder Mrs. Hardymon said. Turning her attention to her son, she added, “I allowed your father to bully you and me. He never wanted anyone else to find out about your problem. We wouldn’t allow you to go on overnights; we made sure that your diapers and plastic pants were dried in the basement where no one could see them. It was no wonder that you felt so ashamed; we made it seem that everything to do with your diapers was shameful. Our actions even made it seem like we were ashamed of you. Why, even your visits to the doctor were kept secret!” she said in a tone that made it clear how disgusted she was with herself.“Mom, it’s OK,” Luke assured her. “I don’t blame you. I remember how you fought me and dad when I said that I wouldn’t wear diapers anymore. Dad encouraged me because he always believed that I wasn’t trying hard enough and that this ‘would make a man out of me.’ You knew better; you knew that this would only make my life more difficult. In the end you were right: I still couldn’t join any teams or go on overnights. I couldn’t even tell my friends why; I wound up lying to them and telling them that you wouldn’t allow it.” Luke turned his attention to his wife. “When I met you, Melinda, I wanted to be honest and tell you everything but I had gotten so used to lying I didn’t know how to tell you the truth. Most of all, I was afraid that you would laugh at me or reject me. Then, when we were married and you were pregnant with Tyler, I was frantic that the baby might inherit my condition. I should have told you about the risk. I’m so sorry that I didn’t have the courage to speak up. I’ll do better from now, please believe me.”“Of course, I believe you. I love you- we’ll work things out,” Melinda assured Luke.“There are so many other things I feel the need to apologize for,” Luke continued.“No, dear,” Melinda interrupted. “It’s like we tell the children. You don’t continue to beat yourself up once you’ve admitted your mistake. The proper thing is to move on.”Ty agreed with his mom and gave his dad another hug with Josie and Melinda right behind. Luke was deeply moved and wiped tears from his eyes.“Thank you,” he said in a choked voice. Then, clearing his throat, he added “I guess I need to do some shopping.”“Maybe not right away,” his mother said. “If I did something wrong, just say so. But, I was fairly certain that this was how things would work out so I stopped and got you all the supplies you’ll need. I even bought some pants to fit over your… your new underwear.”“It’s OK, mom. This family isn’t hiding things anymore. You can say it out loud - you got me some pants to fit over mydiapers. Where are they? Out in the car?”“Yes,” she admitted, relieved that Luke was being so accepting.“Well, Ty, what do you say? Will you help me bring them in?”Ty wasn’t the least bit shy about going outside dressed in diapers and plastic pants. In fact, he took his dad’s invitation as a sign that he had accepted his son’s desire to wear diapers fulltime. Looking at the packages, it seemed to Ty that his grandmother had gotten his dad about the same number of diapers and plastic pants as he himself had gotten yesterday. Back inside, Melinda and Luke went up to their bedroom.Grandma Hardymon stayed downstairs with Ty and Josie. She asked them if they were doing anything this afternoon.“Why, Grandma?” they asked.“Since today is turning into a special family day I wondered if you would like it if I suggested to your mom and dad that we all go out to lunch somewhere special? That is, if you’re feeling up to it, Josie.”“It’s OK, grandma. I know that I look kind of bad but I feel a lot better. I didn’t want to eat anything this morning but now I’m kind of hungry.”“How about you, Ty?”“Yeah, I’d like that, but mom hasn’t bought me any pants yet. I don’t have anything to wear to a restaurant.”“If we take care of that, would you like it if we all went out together?”“Sure,” Ty agreed readily.Melinda came down a few minutes later, chuckling.“Sarah, I’m afraid you’ve underestimated how much your little boy has grown. You bought him 34” pants which is his normal size without diapers. I think he’ll need 36” pants.”“Oh, my,” Sarah chuckled, “how fast they grow up and out! Well, no problem, we can fix that right now. I’ve been talking to Ty and Josie and they agree that today would be a good day for a special family lunch together. What would you say to going out and buying pants for Tyler and Luke then having lunch out. Do you think that it would be OK?”“I think it’s a wonderful idea. I’m sure Luke will agree- if we get him some pants,” Melinda added.“Don’t forget to get some for me, too!” Ty reminded them.“Can I go shopping with you?” Josie begged.“Sure, honey. Let’s leave right away,” Melinda suggested. “Tyler, go upstairs and tell dad that we’ll be back in about forty-minutes. Let him know about our lunch plans, too.”Ty knocked on his parents’ bedroom door.“Dad?… dad?”“Yes, what is it?”“Mom and grandma and Josie have gone to the store to buy some pants for me and you to wear over our… diapers. Mom says that they’ll be back in forty-five minutes.”Neither Luke nor Melinda were particularly prudish. Especially on weekends, it was not unusual for them to get up and to put on the coffee while dressed in only boxers and a t-shirt or some other nightwear. Sometimes the kids were already up and sometimes they weren’t. He supposed that sooner or later his children would see him wearing his diapers. So, when Luke heard Tyler hesitate over saying the worddiapershe made a decision. He opened the bedroom door and stood there in white socks, t-shirt, plastic pants and diaper. Judging by the puffiness of his dad’s plastic pants, Tyler guessed that he must be wearing a thick flannel diaper similar to his own. The major difference in their respective looks was that his dad’s plastic pants had four snaps running up each side.“If your mother and grandmother actually complete a shopping trip in under forty-five minutes I’ll be amazed,” he quipped. “Are there any good games on TV that we can watch until they get back?”Tyler understood instinctively the message that his dad was sending: I trust you enough to allow you to see me in my diaper and plastic pants.After some channel hopping, they settled on a Cleveland/Boston baseball game, even though it was already in the fourth inning and neither team was local. For some reason unknown to his dad, Ty had always been an ardent Boston fan. Just for the fun of it, Luke began rooting for Cleveland. By the top of the seventh, Cleveland was ahead 12-3. Ty was getting frustrated but he wouldn’t admit that Boston was anything but a perfect team. When Cleveland hit another two-run homer Luke reached out from his chair and gave Ty (who was stretched out on his stomach on the couch) a playful swat on the seat of his plastic pants.“Ha!… and you call Boston a team!”When it came to Boston Ty put the ‘fan’ in ‘fanatic’- there was no way he would say anything good about Cleveland. So, instead of commenting on the game he responded to his dad’s slap on his butt.“Quit it, dad,” he complained.“Oh, so you can’t take it any better than Boston can, huh?”“I can, too,” Ty responded hotly.“Oh, really? You think so, huh?”His dad came charging from his chair and Ty barely had enough time to jump off the couch to defend himself. Even though Ty had gone through a couple of growth spurts he hadn’t yet bulked out like his dad. Luke had a clear advantage in size and weight but he didn’t press it. Nonetheless, he quickly got Ty in a headlock and was dragging him out to the entrance hall where there was more room (and he didn’t want to break anything in the den and have to listen to Melinda’s complaints about it!).“Are you ready to admit that Cleveland is a better team?”“Never!”Before Ty knew what had happened, he was sprawled on his back and his dad was sitting on his legs and holding his arms above his head. Despite his best efforts he couldn’t shake his dad off him.“Are you ready now to admit Cleveland’s superiority?”“No!” Ty shouted.“Alright, you asked for it,” his dad warned.Luke then released Ty’s arms and pulled up his t-shirt and began tickling him. Regardless of how much he bucked and wriggled he couldn’t shake his dad. After about a minute Ty’s sides were beginning to hurt.“OK, OK, I give,” Ty gasped between squeals of laughter.“You have to say ‘I love Cleveland; they’re number 1,” his dad insisted.“No, please, don’t make me say that,” Ty begged.“Say it or you get more of the same,” his dad warned again.Thirty seconds later Ty had had enough.“You win, you win. I’ll say it- just stop,”“OK, go ahead,” his dad encouraged.“IloveClevelandtheyrenumberone.” Ty said swiftly.“Well, that wasn’t great but I guess it’s good enough,” his dad mock-grumbled.Once on his feet and heading back to the den, Ty added “for today- maybe” under his breath.His dad heard him and gave him a last swat on the seat of his plastic pants.“Owww, child abuse,” Ty moaned while pretending to faint onto the couch.During the bottom of the ninth when even Ty admitted that Boston was in a hopeless situation he let his mind wander from the game and asked his dad, “How come we never played together like that before? You know, when I was little.”“Because I was afraid that I would wet my pants,” he answered seriously. In a lighter tone, he smiled, “So, you’d better watch it now. I’ll be ready to take you on at any time.”“I’ll be more prepared next time,” Ty answered, also smiling. “It was fun, anyway.”“Yes, it was,” his dad agreed.Their mood was bittersweet- they had enjoyed today’s playtime but they regretted all the lost opportunities.“OK, the game’s over. Sorry you lost—not!,” his dad teased. “The shoppers have been gone for an hour and a half; I’d say they’ll be home soon. Let’s get you changed into dry diapers?”“OK.”His father stuck his hand out. Ty took it and allowed himself be led up to his room.“Do you have a changing pad?” he asked.“No, mom’s been using a towel.”“Right. Why don’t you get one while I find a fresh diaper and some plastic pants?”Luke surveyed the room and shook his head. All his life he had been meticulous. His clothes and possessions were always in perfect order. Surveying his son’s room he was trying to decide if its condition was the result of a hurricane or a flood. Nonetheless, he chuckled to himself. “How can Ty live in this mess?” he thought. By the time Ty had returned, Luke had found the bag of diapers and plastic pants on the floor by the dresser.“It looks like we’re going to have to get you some more storage space,” his father noted.Bryin had a large changing table with plenty of space for his diapers, plastic pants and diapering supplies. Is this what his dad was referring to? Ty hadn’t thought of the possibility on his own but now that his father had brought it up he was rather hoping that he could have one, too.Ty lied down on the towel and his father began changing him. Luke consciously worked slowly and gently, remembering the rare occasions when his father grudgingly changed him. He removed Ty’s plastic pants and diaper. He took a wipe and began cleaning Ty’s diaper area. Ty interrupted his concentration by asking a question.“Dad, why do your plastic pants have snaps up the sides?” he asked ingenuously.Luke blushed at his son’s reference to his plastic pants. Ty mistook it for anger.“I’m sorry, dad. I didn’t mean…”“No, that’s OK,” he reassured Ty. “It’s a fair question. Grandma bought me this style of pants because when I was your age I would change myself at school. I was able to remove my plastic pants and unpin my diaper without taking my pants completely off. For the life of me I can’t remember why I thought it was so important that I not completely remove my pants when changing my diaper. Anyway, I guess Grandma remembered the fuss I made about wearing pull-up pants at school so she got me these to wear over my daytime diapers.”“Kewl,” Ty approved. “I guess I’ll have to change my own diapers at school, too. Do you think I can get some plastic pants like yours?”“I don’t see why not,” his father agreed.As they were talking Luke placed a fresh diaper under Ty and pinned it. He then slipped a new pair of plastic pants up Ty’s legs and over the diaper. Ty stood up to get his plastic pants checked for any stray diaper material. Luke then went to change himself and together they waited for the ‘girls’ to return from their shopping.Ty’s dad had been right about the shopping trip lasting only a little longer. The ‘girls’ arrived home a half-hour later.“Sorry we’re late,” Melinda apologized, “but we ran into Eddie and Bunny while shopping. She made us realize that we needed to do more than just buy pants for you guys. She and Eddie were on the way to a luggage shop to see what they could find in the way of diaper bags- you know, that would be big enough for his diapers. We tagged along and spent forty-five minutes in just that one place. I hope you’ll like our choices. We got one for each of you when you’re alone. And this larger one for when you are out together. That way you won’t have to carry around two bags. What do you think?”It was obvious from the surprised look on his face that it hadn’t occurred to Ty that he would need a diaper bag, even though he knew that Bryin had one. His dad seemed unfazed as he examined on of the smaller.“Yes, this seems to be just about right,” he judged. “Not too big but with plenty of room for three or four diapers and plastic pants. I also like that it is a dark color and that it looks like a sports bag; it will attract less attention. I think these will do very well.”“Good,” Melinda responded, “let’s get the larger bag outfitted right away. I don’t know about you but I’m starved and I would like to leave for lunch as soon as possible.“I’m sure that Ty and I are as starved as you are, but aren’t you going to give us our pants first?” her husband asked, blushing- partly because he had become aware of how Josie was starting at his diapers and plastic pants.“Oh, yeah- sorry.” she answered, picking up the bag with two pairs of pants and two shorts for him. “And here are yours,” she said handing another bag to Ty.Inexplicably, both Ty and his dad felt a little sad at covering up their diapers and plastic pants.Chapter 8Lunch was a great success. Ty felt very proud of his dad. Forgotten were his hurtful words of the previous night, replaced by admiration for his dad’s sharing with him today. It was amazing what twenty-four hours could do. Yesterday, he was convinced that his father hated him for wanting to wear diapers. Now he understood what had caused his dad’s reaction and, incredibly, his dad had consented to go back into diapers himself.The first results of this decision were immediately obvious. The family had never experienced a more relaxed outing. In the past, Ty’s dad has always been rushing them. Ty had long ago concluded that his dad was a workaholic who didn’t know how to take time off. Now he knew differently- his dad had been afraid to wet his pants! Today, Ty wondered if the waiter wouldn’t throw them out because they had lingered so long after eating. In the end, it was Josie’s impatience that made them leave.As they were going back to the car, Ty’s dad asked if anyone was interested in going to a movie. Here was another immense surprise. As far back as Ty could remember, his dad had never gone to a movie. Ty agreed eagerly but the ‘girls’ said that they wanted to get home. Josie wanted to go over to a friend’s house, Melissa wanted to finish some house work, and Grandma Hardymon said that she wanted to go home to rest.“Well, I guess it’s just you and me, Ty,” his dad said. “That’s good, we’ll be able to pick a ‘man’s’ film on our own.”Because Grandma Hardymon had driven her own car to the restaurant she volunteered to take Melissa and Josie home. Ty and his dad went directly to the CineComplex down the road. They selected their movie and had to wait a full hour before show time.“Dad, I need a change,” Ty whispered shyly.“So do I,” his dad whispered back, smiling.They entered the almost deserted bathroom and went into the large handicapped stall at the end. Inside the stall there was a baby changing table with a sign clearly indicating that the weight limit was fifty pounds. Obviously Ty couldn’t be changed there. Nonetheless, Mr. Hardymon lowered it so that he could park their diaper bag off the floor.“I guess this is as good a time as any to teach you how to change yourself,” Ty’s dad said. “Can you leave your shoes on and still take your pants off?”“I think so,” Ty answered while loosening his belt and lowering his pants.“OK, good. Hmmm, your shirt is going to be in the way- it’ll be a lot easier if you take it off.”As Ty removed his shirt he suddenly got very nervous. He realized that in a few more seconds he would be totally naked except for his shoes and socks. His dad noticed his panic building.“It’s OK, son. I know you’re embarrassed. Once we get you some side-snap plastic pants you won’t have to get so undressed to change yourself.”Ty smiled a rather unconvincing smile in his dad’s direction.“OK, the next step is to reach into each leg opening and unpin the bottom pins, being careful not to jab you’re your plastic pants with the points… Good, now lower your plastic pants just a little and take out the top pins… Let down your diaper and plastic pants together. OK, give them to me and I’ll put them in the bag while you begin wiping yourself.”Ty accepted the wipe from his dad and began cleaning himself. He was sure that his mom or dad would have done a better job but he was getting more and more nervous about his state of undress. His dad handed him a fresh diaper.“Now comes the tricky part. You have a couple of choices but I’ll show you how to fold the diaper and use the wall as an extra hand.”He moved Ty over to the wall and had him ‘step into’ the diaper and hold it in place as if it were already pinned.“Back up against the wall and let go of one side and pin the top pin on the other side… Now, without moving away from the wall take the loose ends from the other side and pin the top pin on that side, but not too tightly. Finish pinning your diaper by tightly pinning the bottom pin on each side. The reason for leaving the top pin loose is so that you will have enough room to reach into your diaper and apply powder.”Once Ty had powdered himself and securely tightened the top pins, Mr. Hardymon handed him a pair of plastic pants. Ty quickly pulled them up. His dad showed him how to check around each leg opening to insure that the pants were a tight fit without any stray diaper material exposed. Ty finished dressing.“OK, I have to take care of myself. Wait for me in the lobby… And wash your hands,” Mr. Hardymon called out.A few minutes later Mr. Hardymon joined his son.“Feels good to be fresh and dry, doesn’t it?” he commented.“Yeah,” Ty admitted, wondering if his dad had noticed his erection or if he was just making conversation. In any case, Ty was having quite erotic feelings as he walked across the lobby.The movie turned out to be something of a dud but Ty and his dad didn’t care. It was the first movie they had ever seen together and each hoped it would not be the last. Leaving the parking lot, Ty’s dad took a right instead of a left, the direction that would have led towards home.“Where are we going?” he asked.“While we’re out this way I want to run an errand,” Mr. Hardymon answered.They stopped at a house that Ty didn’t recognize.“Wait for me in the car,” Mr. Hardymon said, “I’ll only be a few minutes.”Mr. Hardymon removed his briefcase from the trunk before going up to the front door. He was greeted by a man who seemed to know him and they went inside. A few minutes later he came back to the car. [In two weeks, Ty would have a brand new changing table just like Bryin’s.]“Now that that’s taken care of, would you like to stop at the medical supply store and pick up some side-snap plastic pants?” Ty’s dad asked him.“Yes!” Ty answered enthusiastically.Mr. Goodwin was still covering for his father-in-law and he greeted Ty warmly. Ty introduced his dad who conveyed the purpose of their visit.“Do you have in stock side-snap plastic pants in Tyler’s size?”“I’ll check,” Mr. Goodwin said as he headed for the storeroom.About a minute later he returned carrying three packages.“At the moment we seem to have six in stock. Will that be enough?”“For now, yes,” Ty’s dad answered. “But please order a dozen more. How long do you think they will take to arrive.”“Let me check the label,” he said picking one up. “This company usually ships the same day. I would say that they will be here in four business days or less.”“That’s excellent. I presume that you already have all our information in your computer. Please give us a call when they arrive.”“I’ll do that. Now, let me ring up today’s purchase for you,” Mr. Goodwin said.Ty left the store clutching the bag as if it were a precious treasure. His excitement inside his diaper and plastic pants was at its peak again.They arrived home just as Mrs. Hardymon was about to fix some sandwiches for dinner.“Hi, guys. Did you enjoy the movie?” she asked.“It was OK,” Ty answered. “Look what dad got me.”Ty dumped the packages of plastic pants onto the table.“See, with these plastic pants I’ll be able to change my own diaper at school without having to take my pants completely off,” he said excitedly. “I can’t wait to show Eddie and Mark! Can I try one on now, dad?”During Ty’s speech Melinda raised a questioning eyebrow in her husband’s direction. He answered with an ‘I’ll answer later’ lift of his eyebrows.“Yes, I suppose you can try one on now. Are you wet or dry?” his dad answered.“I’m only a little bit wet,” Ty said, running up to his room.“Were those snap-sided pants like the ones your mother bought for you?” Melissa asked Luke.“Yes,” he confirmed.Then he went on to explain Ty’s near panic while being changed in the theater restroom. He told her how, watching Ty standing naked except for shoes and socks, he remembered why the snap-sided pants were so important. Illogical as it may be, he recalled how having his pants around his ankles while putting on a new diaper made him feel less naked, less vulnerable to discovery.Ty came running back into the kitchen. He had removed his shirt, pants, and shoes and was now wearing only his socks, diaper, and side-snap plastic pants. These were made of shinier and thicker plastic than his others; they rustled and crackled more loudly, too. Ty wasn’t sure yet, but he thought he liked the fact that these pants would be more difficult to hide because of the noise they made.“Did you have any trouble getting them on?” his dad asked.“No, it was easy. Did I get all the diaper material inside?”His dad checked him and told him that he had done a good job. Melissa then asked if anyone was ready for a sandwich. Ty and his dad accepted eagerly. Ty was dispatched to his sister’s room to find out if she wanted to join them. She snickered at her brother’s appearance but didn’t say anything for fear of getting her dad angry. A few minutes later when Melissa called for the kids to come and eat Ty was wearing one of his short t-shirts. Instead of making his diaper and plastic pants less obvious, the t-shirt seemed to emphasize the roundness of Ty’s bottom and the fullness of the bulge in front. Ty’s was so happy about his new look that he had had trouble tearing himself away from his mirror.After they had finished eating, Melissa reminded Ty of his obligations over at his aunt and uncle’s house. (Luke had taken care of the morning paper before leaving there in the morning.)“It’s getting dark. You should go over to Uncle Henry and Aunt June’s to water the lawn and to take the mail into the house. Come right back after you’re finished. They’re coming back tomorrow afternoon so, tomorrow morning, we’ll go over together to wash the diapers and plastic pants you and Eddie wore.”Ty got up from the table and walked out the front door. His parents were only mildly surprised that he didn’t put on a pair of pants. Ty, on the other hand, was hoping that he hadn’t made a monumental mistake by leaving the house also dressed in only his diaper and plastic pants. The darkness was deepening quickly and no one was roaming the neighborhood. Despite his nervousness he was disappointed that no one got to see him.He arrived at his aunt and uncle’s and quickly took care of business. The house was equipped with sprinklers (manual, not automatic) so he had to turn each one on for five minutes in sequence. While the first set of sprinklers was running in the back yard he brought in the mail. He thought about turning on the TV but decided to sit outside by the sprinkler valves to look up at the stars. He was overtaken by a sense of awe and contentment. He felt so lucky to be thickly diapered; the gentle crinkling of his plastic pants brought a smile to his face. He started up the next set of sprinklers and laid down on his back. He relaxed and let his bladder empty. His flow was strong and the sound of his peeing could be distinctly heard in the quiet of the evening. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his warm pee soaking into the diaper. He was becoming quite hard by the time he was finished.“Man, I guess you really had to go, didn’t you?” a disembodied voice asked.His heart skipped a beat and his eyes flew open. He stared directly up at bulging plastic pants.“God, Mark, don’t sneak up on me like that! I almost had a heart attack,” he said, getting up and looking closely at what Mark was wearing. “Wow, those diapers are huge. Is that what you’re mom is making you wear all the time?” Ty asked.“Yeah. My mom is still ballistic about the diapers. She says that since I wanted to be in diapers everyone ought to get to see them..”“What does she mean?”“I’m not sure. Every time I ask her about getting my pants back she says, ‘The more times you ask, the longer it will take to get them back.’”“Wow, I’m sorry I got you into all this trouble,” Ty apologized.“Don’t worry about it. It’s my fault, too,” Mark generously observed.Ty wondered how Mark would react if he asked him about what happened this morning after he and his mom left his house.“Um… did you go to the white elephant sale?”Even in the semi-darkness Ty could see that Mark’s eyes were tearing up.“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”“No, that’s OK. I want to talk about it,” Mark said taking a deep breath. “It was awful. There were lots of people there and I freaked out. I wouldn’t get out of the van. I guess my mom figured that that might happen so she had her plan all set. She told me that for every article that she delivered to the white elephant booths while I was still sitting in the van she would drag me around with her one full day while she did her errands. She said that tomorrow that would mean grocery shopping and going to the dentist. The next day it would be to the dry cleaners and to her hair dresser. After that, she would be going back to work… I got the message. I got out of the van and helped her deliver the stuff. Everybody was looking at me and making comments to each other. Greg Netherfeld (a classmate) was there, too. He made a real scene: falling over laughing and pointing; asking me if I needed to be changed. I wish I could have decked him but my mom would have gone even more ballistic. Finally, we had all the stuff delivered and I thought that we would be coming home. No such luck. She took me out to buy my own diapers and plastic pants. I just about died when Mr. Goodwin came out of the back room. My mom told him what we had come for but he said he could only fill a part of the order today. The rest of my stuff will arrive next week.”“How much stuff did your mom get?” Ty wondered.“Lots,” Mark answered. “Even Mr. Goodwin said that he didn’t think I would need everything she was asking for. So, she reduced the order but told Mr. Goodwin that I would be needing diapers for a very long time.”Mark sighed and looked back toward his house.“My dad didn’t go as ballistic as I thought he would but he’s letting my mom have her way on how I’m going to be treated. She’s making sure that I don’t change any of my habits. Even though I don’t get pants, I still have to be out of the house by nine o’clock in the morning and, except for lunch, I have to stay out until dark.”The lawns were now watered. Ty said good night to Mark and they both headed home.“Did you finish all the things you were supposed to?” his mom asked as he came through the door.“Yeah, of course.” Before his mother could ask more questions, he changed the subject. “Mom, “I’m kind of wet. Can you change me into my nighttime diapers now?”“Well, sure, I guess. But it’s only eight-thirty- are you sure it isn’t too early?”“I’m kind of tired,” Ty said by way of excuse.“OK, it will be a few minutes. I want to finish this thank-you card to Grandma Hardymon. first.”“How long will that be?” Ty whined.Hearing the disappointment in his son’s voice Mr. Hardymon came out of the den and volunteered to change him immediately. Once again, his dad took him by the hand to lead him up to his room.“Gee, dad, I’m not going to run away, you know.”“You certainly aren’t” he answered with a glint in his eye.He reached around Ty’s waist, and before Ty could do anything about it, his dad had flung him in a fireman’s carry over his shoulder. Ty’s diaper was right next his dad’s ear.“Boy, you weren’t kidding when you said you needed a change. You certainly sound like one squishy boy. We’d better keep a close eye on you so that don’ t float away some day.”By now they had reached Ty’s room and his dad bounced him playfully onto the bed. The diapering ritual began immediately. Mr. Hardymon laid out a changing pad which Ty scooted onto.“We have got to get you better organized,” Mr. Hardymon commented half-jokingly while he hunted for two diapers and Ty’s larger nighttime plastic pants.Ty giggled. His dad always complained about the state of his room but he never did anything to make Ty clean it up.“So you think this mess is funny, huh?” his dad said playfully. “I’ll show you what funny really is.”Before Ty could defend himself his father had jumped on the bed and pinned him down much like he had done earlier in the day.“Now who’s laughing, funny boy?” he taunted. “Ha! I’ll get you twice in the same day.”“Not if I can help it,” Ty countered.He threw his whole weight against his dad who was caught off guard and fell to the floor. Despite the element of surprise Ty was at a disadvantage because of his father’s superior size and reach. Ty was quickly pinned again and his father showed no mercy.“So you thought you could take me, huh? I’ll show you.”He began tickling his son who was bucking and wriggling furiously under him.“No, stop, please… I can’t take it… OK, you win,” he gasped between guffaws of laughter. And when his dad kept on going, “Oh, no, my diaper’s leaking. Please, stop.”“I’m not going to fall for that old trick,” his dad answered.“It’s no trick. I really am leaking. Mom will kill us if the carpet gets wet.”Sure enough, Luke started feeling his son’s pee as it began soaking through his own trousers.“Quick, back up on the changing pad,” his dad said.But it was already too late- the carpet had a six inch ring of wetness and Ty’s dad’s new pants were noticeably wet.“Honestly, Luke,” Melinda grumbled from the doorway, “you’re acting just as bad as the kids. Just look at the carpet and at your pants.”Luke and Ty had stopped smiling. “Oh, oh,” they thought, “how much trouble are we in?”In fact, Melinda was more amused than upset. She was genuinely pleased that Luke and Ty were enjoying themselves but wetting the carpet was just too much for her to allow.“Luke, you’d better change those pants. Ty, you stay right where you are and I’ll get you into your night diapers.”Luke sheepishly left the room while Melinda took over Ty’s diaper change. Luke was much more adept at diaper changes than Melinda but Ty didn’t mind. He used the extra time to begin plotting his revenge against his father. The plan wasn’t complete yet, but he began to see a glimmer of how he would accomplish it.“Hold still. I don’t want to stick you with one of the pins,” his mother advised.Ty let out a loud sigh of boredom just as his dad entered the room with a spray bottle of carpet cleaner. He took one look at his father and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. His dad was dressed in bulging nighttime diapers and plastic pants, too. And, just as Ty intended doing, he was wearing a very short t-shirt that barely covered the waistband of his plastic pants. Melinda, sensing that something was going on behind her back, turned around and saw her husband cleaning the wet spot. Unlike Ty, she didn’t act surprised in the least.“Good. Thanks, Luke. I was afraid that the stain would begin to set before I got to it.”“No problem,” Luke responded nonchalantly.Ty was flabbergasted and delighted. It looked as if his dad was going to allow himself to be seen in his nighttime diapers, too. This was much more than he had dared to hope for. His mother was finally finished and she was checking to make sure that his plastic pants had completely covered his diapers. (To her way of thinking one leaky diaper per day was quite enough.) Satisfied, she gave Ty a loud but gentle pat on the seat of his plastic pants and sent him downstairs. His dad was already watching another game. Melinda decided to stay upstairs to give the ‘boys’ more time to bond. She just hoped that they didn’t tear the house down.Everything was calm for the rest of the evening. When Josie returned home she also sensed that her dad and Ty needing private time so she quietly went upstairs to her room. About an hour later Luke carried his sleeping son to bed.“Good night, son, sweet dreams,” he said kissing Ty on the forehead. Was it merely coincidence that Ty smiled at that very moment? Or was Ty reacting to the crinkling of his dad’s plastic pants?Chapter 9The following morning Ty had had great fun eating breakfast with his dad while they were still in their nighttime diapers. Ty’s sister rolled her eyes at the sight but otherwise didn’t say anything.“Will you be working late tonight?” Melinda asked Luke.“I don’t think so. I hope not,” her husband answered. “Luke went upstairs to get ready for work. Melinda followed him a minute or so later. Josie hadn’t said much yet. As soon as their parents were gone, she started in on Ty.“How wet is the baby this morning? Do you need yourdrysister to help you? I hope yourpantiesaren’t going to leak all over the place.”“Quit it,” Ty demanded. “Stop calling my plastic pantspanties. Look what happened the last time you did that.”“Eddie isn’t here to do your dirty work for you. You wouldn’t dare touch me.”Ty felt frustrated because his sister was right. He wouldn’t get physical with her. His parents would have a fit if he did. Still, he had to figure out a way to get his sister in trouble. Maybe she didn’t remember it, but their mom had told Josie to stop calling Ty and Eddie’s plastic pantspanties.He would trap her one way or another.Luke was ready to leave for work. He kissed his wife and was halfway out the door before he came back and sheepishly picked up his diaper bag.“Guess I’ll have to get used to this again.”After breakfast, Ty’s mom asked him to try on his soccer shorts. He pulled them up and tied the drawstring. The waist was fine, but they definitely ballooned out (just like Bryin’s did).“OK, they’ll do,” his mother declared.“But…”Ty was on the verge of saying that he looked like Bryin and that everyone would know that he was wearing diapers underneath. He stopped himself in time, though. ‘I guess I’ll have to live with it,” he thought. “This is what I want.”“But, what?” his mother asked.“Nothing. Are we going over to Bryin’s now to do the laundry?”“In a few minutes.”Ty took the shorts off.“We’re walking, you know.”“I know.”His mother sighed as she realized that Ty wasn’t going to do anything to cover his diapers even though he could wear his new pants or his soccer shorts to cover up his diapers and plastic pants. Considering her husband’s genuine need for diapers, Melinda wasn’t sure how to handle Ty. He was exhibiting the same desires and behaviors as Bryin. He didn’t seem to care how many people saw him in his diapers.They arrived at June and Henry’s at around 9:45.“Go get the diapers and plastic pants that you and Eddie wore and bring them to the laundry room. You’re going to need to know how to care for them. I have no intention of taking responsibility for your diapers.”Melissa showed him which washing machine setting to use. She directed him to separate out the plastic pants. She would show him how to hand wash them after he finished his morning chores. He consulted the list that his aunt had left and saw that all she wanted him to do was to bring in the newspaper (which they had already done) and to check the houseplants for watering, especially the ones in the living room. That’s where he was when Mark showed up.“Hi, Mark. Come in. Or will your mom go ballistic?” Ty asked.“All she said was that I couldn’t stay at home; she didn’t say I couldn’t go into other people’s houses.”As Mark entered, Ty marveled at how huge his friend’s double diapers were.“Is your mom going to make you go everywhere like that?”“I think so,” Mark answered dejectedly. “I don’t mind that people know that I’m wearing diapers- it’s just that it’s scary having people actuallyseethe diapers. Today, I have to go with her shopping for a drying rack for my plastic pants and then she says we’re going shopping for some new pants for me.”“Will she let you wear pants after that?” Ty wondered.“Not yet, she says I’m still a long way from earning back that privilege.”The more Mark talked about his mother’s treatment of him the more envious Ty became. He was imagining what it would be like to go shopping with his diapers and plastic pants fully exposed. “I wonder how I could l get my mom to take me around like that?” he wondered.Melinda called Ty into the kitchen. Mark went with him. Melinda didn’t comment on his double diapering although she did raise her eyebrows as he walked in.“OK, Ty, It’s time to learn how to hand wash plastic pants.”She walked him through the whole process including the use of lukewarm water, a mild detergent, and the need to rinse them thoroughly and to squeeze the waist and leg bands gently.“”If you don’t take care of them properly they will harden and crack. If we have to buy you more because you have abused them, the cost will come out of your allowance,” Melinda warned.“I understand,” Ty said as he and Mark left the kitchen to hang Bryin’s plastic pants in the bathroom.“Is this the kind of drying rack your mom is taking you out to buy?” Ty asked.“I don’t know. I guess it would work OK.”As Melinda was locking up the house Mark asked Ty if he could go over to his (Ty’s) house since his mother wasn’t allowing him to stay at home.“Mom, can Mark come over for a while?” Ty asked.“Sure, I don’t see why not. Just make sure to tell your mother where you’re going, Mark.”When they arrived home Eddie was waiting on the front lawn. Melinda sighed inwardly as she noticed his plastic pants gleaming in the sunlight. The boys went up to Ty’s room. Eddie wanted to know everything that had happened since Mark left for the white elephant sale with his mom. Eddie sympathized with Mark about being seen in public but he was also fascinated by the story. He shared his own experiences about going shopping with his mother the day before.“The first stop we made was at the Old Navy store to get me some pants. I was a little scared but it was way cool to wear diapers in public. A lot of people noticed me but nobody said anything bad. A couple of ladies asked my mom about my diapers buy my mom didn’t really answer them. She just said that this was the way things were and we kept on shopping. After I tried on the pants and shorts, my mom made me take them off until they were paid for. At the cash register my mom asked for some scissors to cut off the tags of the jeans I just got. I didn’t really want to wear them right away but my mom said we were going to the mall next so I agreed. Going to the mall in just diapers was way too risky!”During Eddie’s story it occurred to Ty that he was the only one who hadn’t yet gone out to a crowded area in just diapers. Yesterday, at the movies, he had been wearing pants so he didn’t feel like he had been initiated like Eddie and Mark. He was even a little jealous of their exploits.“When is your mom taking you shopping again?” Ty asked Mark.“Right after lunch,” he sighed.After a few seconds of silence, Ty asked, “Do you think your mom would let me go with you? You know, so that you wouldn’t feel so alone?”“Do you mean in just diapers and plastic pants?!” Mark asked incredulously.“Yeah, I guess so,” Ty answered.“Would you? Would you really do that?” Mark repeated.“Uh, yeah. That’s what I said.”“I guess she would. I don’t know. But I’ll do everything to convince her!” Mark said. “But will your mom let you go like that?”Ty went downstairs to ask his mom. He came back about two minutes later.“My mom said that she has to talk to your mom first,” Ty reported.“Why?” Mark asked.“She says that she wants to know where we’re going and for how long.”“Why? Do you have something to do today?”“Sort of, I guess,” Ty answered. “My uncle and aunt are coming back from vacation this afternoon and my mom says I have to go over there to apologize for using Bryin’s diapers and plastic pants.”Ty’s mom called him downstairs. When he got back he announced that he could go shopping with Mark, but with conditions.“What conditions?” Eddie asked.“My mom says I have to wear my new pants and that I have to come straight back home after we’re done,” Ty answered.“Oh,” Mark said in a disappointed tone.“Sorry,” Ty said.“You probably would have chickened out anyway,” Eddie stated.“I would not,” Ty answered, stung by Eddie’s accusation of cowardice.“That’s easy for you to say now,” Eddie continued. “Me and Mark have already been seen wearing our diapers in public places. How do we even know that your mom said that you have to wear pants? Maybe you just made that up to get out of your promise.”“I did not!” Ty practically screamed.“Yeah, leave him alone,” Mark said to Eddie. “It’s not his fault.”“Maybe not,” Eddie said softening his tone, “but it’s still pretty convenient for him.”“I’ll prove it,” Ty said defiantly. “When I go to Mark’s after lunch. I’ll leave my pants at your house, Eddie, and I’ll pick them up before I come back home.“OK, it’s a deal,” Eddie agreed.Eddie and Mark left a short while later. Mark was especially happy that Ty had taken the bait. He and Eddie had clearly heard Ty’s mother tell him that he would have to wear pants on the shopping trip. They had made up the story of not believing him because they knew he couldn’t resist a challenge, especially if someone called him chicken.About an hour later Ty arrived at Mark’s house. As promised, he was not wearing any pants. He felt a little nervous about going out to a crowded store like this but it was too late for him to back down.“Hi,” Mark said as Ty came into the yard. “My mom’s waiting for the baby sitter. Do you want to go inside to my room?”“Yeah, OK,” Ty answered. “You’re only wearing one diaper. Did your mom change her mind about making your diapers super-obvious?”“Not really. When she changed me after lunch she said that I would be wearing one diaper for the shopping trip only because I have to try on pants. After we come back she says she’ll put me back into double diapers.”The baby sitter arrived and Mrs. Haddlin called Mark and Eddie. It was time to leave.“Who’s going to baby sit Sean?” Ty asked.“I don’t know. Usually it’s Mrs. Tanger from next door.”Mark led the way to the kitchen hoping that Mrs. Tanger wouldn’t see them in their diapers and plastic pants. However, the baby sitter was in the kitchen getting herself some water. The baby sitter wasn’t Mrs. Tanger, either. It was Pam Byers a fellow student of Mark and Ty! Her eyes bulged and she nearly choked on her water as she focused on them.“Omigod!” she squealed. “You guys look so cute.”Neither Ty nor Mark knew what to do. There was nowhere to hide so they tried to get past her and out the door. She deliberately blocked their way.“Nice pants, Mark. And, you too, Ty. Are those real baby pants with snaps on the side? What did you guys do to get punished like this?”Before they could answer Mrs. Haddlin came into the kitchen.“Oh, they’re not being punished,” she said nonchalantly. “They asked to be dressed like this. Isn’t that right, boys?”Neither boy answered.“Well, anyway,” she continued, “they did. I don’t know why they’re being so shy all of a sudden. In the next few hours lots of people are going to see them in their cute diapers and plastic pants. Ty, did you bring a diaper bag?”It seemed like Mrs. Haddlin was trying to do everything she could to embarrass the boys in front of their classmate.“No, ma’am,” Ty managed to squeak out.“Well, never mind, I’ve already washed the diaper and plastic pants you lent Mark yesterday. I’ll just put them into his diaper bag.” Turning to Pam she added, “It’s always good to have spares handy when boys are in diapers.”“Absolutely,” Pam agreed, playing along with Mrs. Haddlin. “By the way, Mrs. Haddlin, I’ve baby sat older babies before. If you ever need a baby sitter for Mark I’d be happy to do it.”“Why, thank you, Pam. I may take you up on that. It’s very hard getting sitters for older children, especially when they’re still in diapers at a late age.”Mark wasn’t sure if his mother was serious or not. Her laughter sure didn’t sound very sincere.Mrs. Haddlin treated them like babies all the way to the bed and bath store. She kept talking to them as if they were two years old, pointing out various things and telling them how much fun they were going to have shopping. All of this was making Ty very nervous, causing him to become very sensitive to the pressure building up in his bladder. It took all of his courage to get out of the car. Mark didn’t look very confident either. People stared at them all the way into the store. Inside the store, Mrs. Haddlin made a big deal out of their errand.“I’m here to get a drying rack for my son’s plastic pants,” she said to the first sales clerk that she saw. “Can you tell me where they are, please?”“They’re in aisle fourteen,” the high-school-aged clerk said. “I’d be happy to show them to you. Please follow me.”She showed them four different types, including one that was made to hang down from the ceiling.“I think that either one of these will do the trick,” Mrs. Haddlin said pointing to two freestanding models. “About how many pairs of plastic pants do you think either will hold?”“I’m sorry but I really don’t know,” the clerk apologized. “Is that a diaper bag you’re carrying? Are there any extra plastic pants in there that you could measure with?”“Well, of course,” Mrs. Haddlin said, “what a good idea.”The whole conversation between Mrs. Haddlin and the clerk had been carried on as if the boys weren’t there. Also, it had been done loudly enough for people to easily overhear. By now, most of the people in the store had spotted the boys. A few kids (about the same age as Ty and Mark) were the worst. They giggled behind their hands and pointed them out to their parents or brothers and sisters. When Mrs. Haddlin opened the diaper bag and exposed their extra diapers and plastic pants the boys thought that they couldn’t possibly feel more mortified. But they were wrong. She pulled out a pair of plastic pants and unfolded them loudly.“Oh dear,” she said, “I’m not sure if these are my son’s or his friend’s. Turn around, boys, so that I can check the labels inside your plastic pants.”Ty got even redder in the face as he felt Mrs. Haddlin pull up his shirt and then tug at the waistband of his plastic pants to get a look at the label. He squirmed a little bit.“Stand still, honey. I’m almost done.” she said as she readjusted the waistband of his plastic pants.Mark stood off to the side, partially hidden by a bin full of sale items.“Come here, Mark. I need to check your label next.”Mark stepped away from the display. Despite his best efforts, his hands could not hide the growing yellow spot inside his plastic pants.“Is that why you were hiding back there?” his mom asked in a tone of voice normally used with a small child. “Now don’t you worry, I’ll change you as soon as we get back to the car. Don’t be upset when you make pee pee in your diapers. That’s what they’re for, aren’t they?”Mark was too embarrassed to look anywhere but at the floor. Still, he could feel all eyes focused on his diapers as his mother checked the label of his plastic pants.“OK, honey, turn around. Your diaper is sagging- you don’t want it to fall off, do you?”She lowered his plastic pants about halfway down his diaper as she readjusted the top pins. The distinct odor of urine wafted about the store. No one doubted where it came from. Despite everything, Mark had to admit that the newly tightened diaper felt better and more secure.Mr. Haddlin selected a drying rack and loaded the box into her shopping cart.“Would you boys like to go next door to the computer store while I look for a few more items?”Ty reacted first.“Do we have to?” he practically screeched.“Of course not,” Mrs. Haddlin said in a reasonable voice. “It’s just that you guys always want to go there. You can stay with me and pick out new sheets if that’s what you want.”It wasn’t what the guys wanted but it was better than going into the computer store alone. Being seen here with Mark’s mother was one thing. If one of their friends saw them they could always claim that she had forced them into this. Going into the computer store with their plastic pants exposed (along with Mark’s wet diaper) wouldn’t be so easy to explain. Lastly, Ty was worried that he couldn’t hold out wetting his diaper for much longer.Mrs. Haddlin seemed to be taking forever to decide what sheets to get. (The boys were still a few years away from realizing how differently women shop compared to men.) Ty hoped that he could hold out until they got back to the car. If she was going to change Mark maybe she would change him at the same time. Finally, they were heading for the check out and not one moment too soon in Ty’s opinion.As soon as they walked out of the store Ty began wetting his diapers. They wheeled their purchases to the car and loaded them into the trunk. Just as she was ready to unlock the car, a look of consternation crossed Mrs. Haddlin’s face.“I knew there was something I was forgetting,” she exclaimed. “Come on, boys, we have to go back.”“But you said that you’d change me!” Mark protested.“Can’t we wait here, please?” Ty begged.Mrs. Haddlin looked over to Ty and noticed how wet he was. She decided to stand firm.“No, you may not. We need to go to the computer store,” she announced.“The computer store!” the boys cried simultaneously.“Yes, we need a new color ink cartridge for the printer. Don’t we, Mark?”“I guess so, but can’t we get it later?” Mark practically begged.“That would be silly now that we’re already here- it will only take a minute. Besides, aren’t you the one who said you needed a new one last night?” she asked pointedly.Before they could answer she grabbed each of them by the hand and started marching them towards the computer store. The boys became quite agitated. How many of their friends might be in the store? How would they react? Would they ever talk to them again? They imagined all kinds of horrors.They entered the store. There seemed to be no one else there except the clerk behind the counter. His eyes grew round as he focused on the boys plastic pants and… (yes!) wet diapers.“May I help you?” he said recovering his composure.“Yes, Mrs. Haddlin answered, “we need a color ink cartridge for our printer.”“Do you know the cartridge number or the make and model of the printer?”“No, I don’t. But I’m sure my son does. Mark, why don’t you go with the clerk to show him the cartridge we need? Ty, why don’t you help him out? I’ll wait here by the cash register.”The boys weren’t fooled by her questions. They were orders. They reluctantly followed the clerk to the far corner of the store. The squishing sound of their wet diapers followed them across the room. So did the faint odor of pee that was now emanating from their diapers.“Which one of you is Mark?” the clerk asked.“I am,” Mark answered reluctantly. “We need a 78A cartridge.”The clerk pulled one off the hanging rack. They were in and out of the store in less than four minutes. The boys breathed a sigh of relief as they got back to the car.“Where will we go to get changed?” Mark asked.“Nowhere,” his mother answered. “I’ll change you on the back seat like I always did.”“But someone might see us!” Mark protested.“Sorry, guys. This is standard procedure for mothers. You guys wanted to wear diapers- now you have to live by the decisions that mothers make about where to change them. Who wants to be first?”Neither wanted to be first, or second, for that matter. Ty broke the deadlock by volunteering to go first.Mrs. Haddlin opened up the diaper bag and took out the supplies she would need.“I’m going to need a changing pad for the car. Remind me in case I forget,” she told Mark.She laid out two diapers on the back seat.“This won’t be ideal but it will have to do for today. Let’s get your plastic pants and diaper off before you lay down on the clean diaper.”Ty nervously looked around as she unsnapped his plastic pants and unpinned his diaper. He dove into the back seat before anyone could see him. Mrs. Haddlin did a quick job of cleaning him and getting him pinned him into the first diaper. He was about to stand up when she stopped him“Not yet. I have to get the second diaper on you.”“Second diaper! How come?” Ty questioned.“I know that your mother wanted you to wear the new pants she got you yesterday. Since you don’t seem to want to wear them, there’s no reason to lightly diaper you. You chose to have people see your diapers, so let’s give them something to look at,” Mrs. Haddlin explained.Ty knew he was trapped. But how did she find out that he had taken off his pants?“Sorry, Ty,” Mark said, feeling responsible for having dared Ty to go shopping in just diapers and plastic pants.“Alright, your turn Mark,” his mother said.Ty got out of the back seat and nervously stood by the car as Mark had his diaper removed. There was a slight breeze and Ty could feel the wind passing through the diapers. He had never been outside without plastic pants so he felt practically naked.“Can I have my plastic pants now?” he meekly asked Mrs. Haddlin.“As soon as I finish with Mark,” she answered.Time seemed to be crawling. What was taking so long? (Mark was getting put into double diapers, too.) Several times Ty heard people walking somewhere in the parking lot, but no one had approached where they were parked- until now, that is. Ty was in a near panic as he heard familiar voices approaching.“Hey, Ty,” one voice called. “How’s it going?”Ty’s stomach clenched. Howie Masterfield and another classmate, Ron Draght had spotted him. There was no where to escape. The car he was standing next to would only hide his diapers temporarily. Mark also became agitated as he realized what was happening. Only Mrs. Haddlin maintained a slight smile on her lips.“Hello, boys,” she called out, deliberately encouraging them to come closer.She bent back into the back seat to finished pinning Mark into his second diaper. Mark and Ty were so scared that neither of them could move. Howie and Ron stood open-mouthed when they saw Ty’s diapers. Mrs. Haddlin was going to play the scene for all she could.“You can say hello to Mark as soon as I finish getting his diapers pinned.”Howie and Ron were also glued to the ground in surprise. Ty was blushing furiously and Mark (still lying on the back seat) began shaking violently.“Stop that this instant,” his mother hissed. “You asked for this, now you’re going to take the consequences.”She practically yanked Mark to a standing position outside the car.“Hi, guys,” Howie managed to croak. He didn’t know what else to say.Mrs. Haddlin was the only one who acted as if nothing unusual was going on. She handed each boy a pair of plastic pants. (Ty noticed that they were bigger and thicker than any he owned.)“Come on, don’t dawdle. We’ve still got more shopping to do. Get your plastic pants on so that I can check that your diapers are completely covered.”Ty and Mark cringed as the plastic pants crinkled very loudly as they slid them up their legs. Mrs. Haddlin took the opportunity to talk to the other boys.“Are you guys out shopping or were you at the video arcade?” she asked.“Just looking around,” Ron answered.“Did you just come from the computer store? We were just there ourselves- I wonder why we didn’t see each other,” she mused.Now that Mark and Ty had put on their plastic pants she turned her attention back to them.“Very good, boys,” she said. “Maybe I won’t have to check your plastic pants every time you change. You did a good job of covering your diapers.”Mark and Ty were ready to crawl under the car. Mrs. Haddlin was obviously trying to focus as much attention on their diapered state as possible.“Anyway,” Mrs. Haddlin continued, “We’re heading for the mall. Would you like to join us?”“No, ma’am, but thank you.” Ron answered. “My mom is expecting me home soon. Thanks for the offer, though. So long, guys.”“Yeah, so long,” Howie echoed.“Mom!” Mark said between clenched teeth. “How could you invite them to come with us? That was so embarrassing.”“I told you that nothing was going change just because you want to wear diapers. Wouldn’t you have spoken to them if we had met them here two days ago when you were still wearing pants?”There was no answer to that. Mark knew she was right.“If we’re going to the mall to get me some pants, why did you put me into double diapers?” Mark asked.“Who said we’re going to the mall to buy you pants? Thatwasthe original plan, but why should I buy you pants if you guys are going to challenge each other to go out in just your diapers? I’ll wait for school to start again before I spend money on pants for you. Now, get in the car. I need to make at least two stops inside the mall.”They didn’t see anyone they knew at the mall but they got lots more stares. At least Mrs. Haddlin only wanted to look at things in some of the smaller women’s shops.Chapter 10Mrs. Haddlin dropped Ty off at his house. He thought about retrieving his pants from Eddie but he knew that it was useless to try to hide the truth. Mrs. Haddlin was bound to tell his mother about the shopping trip and the double diapers into which she had put him.“I see I was right to have called Mrs. Haddlin after you left. Where did you leave your pants?” his mother asked as he walked through the door.“You knew?” Ty answered in surprise.“I didn’t ‘know’ anything,” she clarified. “I just suspected that you might ‘lose’ your pants on the way over to the Haddlins, especially since I knew that Mark wasn’t going to be wearing any. You still haven’t answered my question. Where are your pants?”“At Eddie’s.” Ty answered sullenly. He hated it when his mother could figure him out so easily. “I’ll go get them.”“Don’t bother. Eddie is coming over soon. Remember, Aunt June and Uncle Henry are coming back today. You and Eddie have to go over there and apologize for having used Bryin’s diapers and plastic pants without their permission. Phone and ask Eddie’s to bring them when he comes over.”Bryin and his family pulled into their driveway. They had had a great time on vacation but they were all happy to be home, especially Bryin. Whenever they went away for more than one overnight, he had to wear disposable diapers. These were OK with him but his ‘real’ diapers were better. He couldn’t wait to get back into them. But first, they would have to unpack the car. (His parents had figured out a long time ago that the best incentive to get Bryin to help with the unloading was to change him into his cloth diapers only after the job was finished.)Bryin plopped his bag down in his bedroom. Glancing into the bathroom he saw a bunch of his plastic pants drying on the rack. He cursed Ty and Eddie for having been so careless. What if his mother or anyone else had seen them first? He quickly took them down, noticing that the waist and leg bands were still slightly damp.“They must have waited until today to wash them,” he thought to himself. “I’ll have to check if there are any diapers in the dryer.”The car was soon emptied and Bryin was back in his cloth diapers and plastic pants, feeling extremely contented. His mother was on the phone talking to her sister, Ty’s mother.“Hi! We’re back… Yes, just a few minutes ago… It was a wonderful trip. The children had a great time and Henry and I got to relax, too… Oh?… Well, sure, you can come over… With Ty and Eddie?… Of course… See you in fifteen minutes.”“Who’s coming over?” Bryin asked.“Aunt Melinda, Ty, Eddie and Eddie’s mom. Aunt Melinda says that Ty and Eddie have some apologizing to do. Did you see anything wrong in your room? I didn’t notice anything wrong around the house. I wonder what’s going on. Oh well, they’ll be here soon. I’m sure it’s nothing big.”Considering the plastic pants he had found hanging in his bathroom, he wasn’t so sure. He was beginning to get a little nervous.“Welcome home,” Melinda called through the screen door. “Can we come in?”“Of course, come on in,” June and Henry answered in unison.They were about to add more when they saw Ty and Eddie walking behind their mothers, dressed in puffy double diapers and plastic pants. Melinda noticed where their gazes were focused.“OK, boys, explain,” she said abruptly.Despite having already been seen publicly in their diapers, the boys were tremendously embarrassed. Ty, in particular, was worried about how his aunt and uncle would react to his having borrowed Bryin’s diapers for so many years.Bryin was coming down the stairs when his aunt ordered Ty and Eddie to explain themselves. Without even seeing them, he knew that the subject was diapers. Nonetheless, even he was surprised to see that his cousin and his friend were dressed in just their diapers- and double diapers at that! He was jealous and felt out of place wearing pants over his diaper and plastic pants.“Well,” Eddie’s mother prodded the boys, “everybody’s waiting.”Ty hesitantly launched into his confession of having worn Bryin’s diapers secretly over the years. His nervousness caused the story to come out all jumbled at first. Eventually, Bryin’s parents understood that Bryin had been supplying his cousin and Eddie with diapers and plastic pants. Bryin’s parents were obviously not pleased to hear this. An uncomfortable silence fell over the group.“Can we go up to my room?” Bryin asked.“Yes, but you’re staying put until we (meaning the adults) figure out what we’re going to do about this,” his dad answered.Bryin was bursting with excitement when they got to his room.“Tell me everything that’s happened since your moms discovered you wearing my diapers,” he said taking off his pants.By mutual agreement Ty and Eddie had earlier decided to say nothing about Mark. (Of course, Ty would make no reference to his dad, either.) They wanted to save that ‘surprise’ for as long as possible.“OK, first we’ll start with how I got caught,” Ty said.After that, they described their walk home in diapers, the trip to the medical supply store and how Mr. Goodwin waited on them, and, finally, how they had worn practically nothing but diapers ever since.“Have a lot of people seen you?” Bryin asked.“Lots and lots,” Eddie said proudly. “We’ve even gone shopping in just our diapers.Bryin’s excitement increased some more. This was a fantasy he had harbored for a long time but his mother would never let him leave the house without his pants, except if he was staying close by in the neighborhood.“Awesome,” he said dreamily. “You guys are so lucky.”“So far, anyway,” Eddie said. “Who knows what will happen wheneverybodyknows about our diapers?”“Don’t worry about it,” Bryin answered. “Everybodyknows about mine and nobody cares.”“Yeah, but you’ve worn yours forever. Some people might think that you have a medical reason,” Bryin pointed out. “Besides, you normally wear pants over your diapers. Me and Eddie are being forced to show off our diapers until our moms say it’s OK to wear pants again. That could mean no pants until the end of the summer.”This was pure torture for Bryin. He would love to be forbidden from wearing pants all summer!“Awesome!” Bryin said even more fervently. “I wonder if I could convince my parents to let me do the same?”“I don’t know,” Ty speculated. “Your parents seemed kind of mad about you letting us wear your diapers. Maybe they’ll punish you by taking your diapers away. You’ve always said that they were never happy about you wearing them.”“What!” Bryin said, clearly shaken. “They’vealwayslet me wear diapers. They wouldn’t do that, would they?” He didn’t wait for an answer but moved right along. “How come your diapers are so thick?”Still avoiding any mention of Mark, Eddie answered.“Oh, this is something new from today. Our moms are kind of frustrated that we aren’t embarrassed enough about our diapers so they’re making our diapers as obvious as possible. They’re forcing us to wear double diapers and really big plastic pants,” he said stating the obvious.Bryin’s dad called them back downstairs. None of the adults looked happy.“Sit down, boys,” Ty’s aunt said. “None of us is going to pretend that we understand what you get out of wearing diapers and we seriously doubt that you could explain it to us. We’ve never opposed Bryin’s wishes to wear diapers but we thought that we had taught Bryin to be truthful and honest. Obviously, that wasn’t the case.”“No, it wasn’t,” Bryin’s dad said, speaking directly to him. “Your mother and I are very disappointed that you hid something like this from us foryears. Why did you? Can you tell us?”“I don’t know,” Bryin answered. “I thought that you might get mad.”“Well, we are kind of mad,” his dad continued, “but not because you shared your diapers with Ty and Eddie. If you had told us about it, we could have discussed some way to handle it. We’re mad because you hid things from us over and over again for a long period of time.”“I’m sorry,” Bryin said sincerely.“I hope so,” his dad answered, “but that’s not enough. You will be punished. First of all, no computer privileges for the next week and you are grounded this weekend and the next, except for soccer. There’s no reason for your team to be let down. (Bryin was their top defensive player.) Lastly, we’re going to test your attachment to your diapers.”“Oh, no,” thought Bryin, “Ty was right. They’re going to take my diapers away.” For the first time in a long time he felt like crying.“That’s right,” his mother said, “I have always resisted your wishes to go around in just your diapers. Well, we’re changing that right now. From now on, you willnotget any pants to wearandyou will wear double diapers at all times. Let’s see how you feel about going everywhere in just your diapers.”Bryin was so stunned he didn’t know how to answer. If he looked enthusiastic, would his parents change their mind? He decided to act casual.“OK,” he agreed calmly. “When does it start?”“Right now,” his mother answered. “Aunt Melinda brought you some special plastic pants like Tyler and Eddie are wearing. Let’s get you double diapered.”In fact, his parents knew that Bryin would not take this treatment as a punishment. They reasoned that it would save a lot of trouble in the long run if they gave him permission to do the things he was going to do anyway. Ten minutes later Bryin came back downstairs. Ty and Eddie had moved into the den. Bryin could hardly contain his pleasure.“I can’t believe they’re going to let me go around in double diapers all summer,” he enthused.Eddie and Ty hoped that Bryin’s enthusiasm was justified.“Do you think your mom and dad will let you come with us to Mark’s house right now?” Eddie asked.“I don’t know. It might be better if one of you asked. Why?”“Mark’s got something really cool to show you,” Ty answered. “I’ll go ask.”Bryin completely lost it when he saw Mark in his diapers. He whooped and hollered and danced around like a little boy in a toy store. This was turning into the happiest and most surprising day of his life. He wanted to know everything about how this happened. He laughed uproariously when they told him how Mark’s pants had been given away. He sympathized with Mark about his ‘debut’ in diapers at the white elephant sale but he assured him that Greg would not be a problem.“I know all the same guys you know. They’re not going to be a problem, believe me.”“How about Howie and Ron?” Ty asked. “They saw Mark and me getting diapered in the parking lot at the computer store,”“Stop worrying,” Bryin insisted. But he wanted to know all the details of this story, too.That night, Bryin couldn’t fall asleep. His brain was still on overload. He could hardly believe that he now had three friends who were permanently and publicly in diapers like him. He couldn’t wait to have ‘public’ exposures like they had been having. He sensed that they were still worried about the overall effect that this would have with their other friends. He would have to work extra hard to show them that there was nothing to worry about. He had gotten away with it so far, why couldn’t they?A second reason that Bryin couldn’t sleep was that something was troubling him. He was feeling guilty about having hidden his diaper activities with Bryin and Eddie from his parents. And, they weren’t the only ones with whom he played diaper games. Howie Masterfield and Ron Draght also liked to wear and wet his diapers. (In fact, they regularly took diapers home to wear secretly at night.) Should he try to convince them to ‘go public’? Or should he talk to his parents first? Would they insist on informing their parents if he did? Would Howie and Rod hate him for telling his parents? The questions rolled around in his head keeping him awake.Ty also found himself restless. He could hear that the TV was still on. His dad was listening to the late news. He got up and went downstairs. Ty’s dad had already gotten ready for bed. He was dressed in night diapers, a colored t-shirt and white socks.“Can’t sleep?” his dad asked.“No. Can I ask you a question?”“Sure.”Ty didn’t move. He blushed a little before getting the courage to continue.“What if other people find out aboutyourdiapers because of me?”“Oh,” his dad answered.“Yeah. Will you be mad at me if your secret gets out?” Bryin asked.“No, I won’t. I promise. Besides, other people already know.”“They do?” Ty said surprised. “How come?”“Because I told them. I should have been more honest with myself and other people a long time ago, Today I told my boss about my special needs and I told uncle Henry, aunt June and Mrs. Pfelgaur this afternoon.”“Then, you don’t mind?” Bryin persisted.His dad thought for a few seconds.“I’m not like you and Bryin. I don’t wanteverybodyto know, but if people happen to find out I’ll have to deal with it. I can tell you this, though. I haven’t felt this relaxed and comfortable in years. I guess I haveyouto thank for that,” his dad said sincerely.This seemed to satisfy Ty.“Here comes the sports report. Do you want to stay and watch it?” his dad asked.“Sure… ummm, dad? Can I sit with you?”His dad smiled broadly as he made room in the chair. Ty smiled at theswooshingsound made by their plastic pants rubbing together.“Comfortable?” his dad asked as he draped his arm over Ty’s shoulder.“Yup.”Ty was horrified to hear that his beloved Red Sox had lost their third game in a row. As his dad opened his mouth to speak, Ty was sure that he was going to tease him about it.“You’re still young,” his dad deadpanned. “You’ll learn how to pick good teams some day, I’m sure.”“They are too a good team!” Ty objected. “You’ll see.”“Yeah, yeah,” his dad drawled. “And, who knows? Maybe they’ll win a World Series by the time your grandchildren get to college.”His dad turned off the TV and stood up.“Time for bed,” he said.Ty stood up, frustrated that he hadn’t thought up a good comeback to his dad’s zinger against Boston. Suddenly he felt his dad pick him up and throw him over his shoulder.“I can get up to bed by myself. I’m not a baby, you know.”“I guesstheseconfused me,” his dad said, patting Ty’s diapers and plastic pants with his free hand.“Oh yeah? Well, from where I am I can see someone else who’s wearing the same things.”“You got me there,” his dad chuckled as he threw Ty onto his bed causing the headboard to bang against the wall.“Oops, sorry,” his dad apologized. “I hope we didn’t wake your mother and Josie.”“We!,” Ty objected. “You’re the one who did it.”“OK, OK,” his dad admitted. “Now go to sleep,” he said ruffling Ty’s hair and kissing him on the forehead.Both of them were ready for one of the best night’s sleep they had ever had.THE END