Auntie Ardis

© DrMogumbo 2004

Part 1

“Brandon, wake up baby,” his mom shook the five year old gently, “Wake up baby, we have to go.” From a deep sleep, the boy slowly gained consciousness. Brandon resisted his mother’s prodding, attempting to roll over and drop back to sleep. She shook him harder, “C’mon baby, we have to go. I know you don’t want to get up but we have to get in the car.”

Brandon rolled over again and cracked his eyes. His mom was leaning over him now, stripping off the covers and moving him to the edge of the bed. In a half conscious state, Brandon felt himself lifted into his mother’s arms and carried from the bedroom to the hall to the front room. Laying him on the couch, she begged him, “Please don’t go back to sleep Brandon, I’m just going to get the bags into the car and move it to the front of the house. I’ll be right back.” With that, Brandon slumped over and went right back to sleep.

He had no recollection of his mother lifting him again and carrying him through the darkness to the waiting car. He was only vaguely aware of the chilled air in the car as his mom wrapped his snugly baby blanket around him in the back seat and then he was out again, dead asleep.

Hours later, as Brandon slumbered restlessly in a fitful sleep, as little jabs of icy air stabbed at his legs and back. Moving the blanket, he would dropped back to sleep. Then, with a lurch, he was awakened again when the melodic drone of the car’s engine suddenly died. A draft of very cold air washed over him and he heard his mom’s voice pleading with him to wake up. His eyes were open, but he was hardly conscious of anything except the cold air and the physical discomfort of being dragged across the seat and lifted again into his mother’s arms. He was vaguely aware of more voices, his mother’s and another woman exchanging staccato bursts of frantic dialogue in the dark. Then he felt himself leaving his mother’s arms and across the shoulder of another. It was just enough of a change that Brandon awoke to see his mom getting back into the car. He called for her, gently at first and then more anxiously, “Mom... mommy, mommy... don’t go...where are you going?” And then the tears came together with more frantic cries, “MOM! Mom don’t leave me!”

Her window down, his mother called to her baby, “I love you Brandon. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” And to the woman holding her boy, “Take care of him. I’m sorry for all the suddenness of this,” her voice rising as a large truck barreled by on the nearby highway, “and don’t forget, he’s still in diapers...” her last statement lost in the din of the truck’s exhaust...”at night.”

Half asleep and half awake, Brandon, confused and abandoned, was gasping in loud sobs. “That’s alright baby,” came a voice eerily similar to his own mother’s, “everything’s going to be okay, okay.” A soft hand gently stroked the hair away from his forehead. Brandon watched as the car faded into the darkness and he was carried inside his new home.

As upset as he was, Brandon settled into the lap offered by the woman and felt the gentle rocking motion fall into cadence with his sobs, the soft fingers running through his hair. A few minutes later he was fast asleep again.

Ardis nestled the frightened boy until she was sure he was fast asleep again. She was saddened by the circumstances, but all too willing to help her sister by taking on the care of her nephew, Brandon. She gently lifted the boy with her as she stood and noticed right away, her lap was wet. She turned the boy over in her arms and saw a huge wet spot clearly outlining his soddened diaper. “Damn disposables,” she cursed under her breath as she walked gingerly up the stairs of the old Victorian house, careful to avoid the steps she knew would bend and creak under the combined weight of her and her new charge.

Once in the nursery, she was careful to the lay the boy down without disturbing his sleep, unsnap and slip his wet pajama bottoms off and untape a completely saturated disposable diaper. Brandon didn’t move a muscle, still deep in sleep. “Poor baby, this kind of thing isn’t going to happen here,” Ardis said, disdainful of the crude diaper development so recently on the market. “We know how to properly diaper a baby here,” she continued, wiping Brandon’s crotch and genitals with a warm, soapy wash cloth and patting it dry with a soft hand towel. With a deft hand, practiced through hundreds of similar changes, she lifted his legs and slipped a double gauze prefolded diaper under his butt, sprinkled a handful of baby powder and pulled the thick cloth up between his legs. Swiping two pins from a dozen or more stuck into a bar of nearby soap, she snugged the diaper around Brandon’s waist and fastened it securely. With one hand on the boys midsection, trained to keep her young charges safely on the table, Ardis’ other hand dipped on to a lower shelf and retrieved a pair of plastic pants. She examined them closely and put them back, fishing for another pair, “You’re a bit small for your age Brandy,” as she liked to call her nephew, “but I don’t think you’ll fit into your cousin Forest's pants,” she said to herself as much as anyone.

“Here, I think these will be more comfortable,” Ardis whispered, fishing another, larger pair from beneath table top. “I don’t think Ryan will mind a bit if you borrow a pair from him,” she continued, referring to her oldest son, asleep in the room across the hall, oblivious to the midnight commotion. She unfolded the frosty plastic and once again, with the experience that comes from years of practice, she lifted Brandon’s legs and slipped the baby pants over the bulging diaper.

Ardis slipped the boy effortlessly back onto her shoulder and carried him into the room across the hall where her two boys slept the deep, deep sleep of youth. Her eyes strained in the dark for the empty crib, just recently abandoned by Forest, and quickly remembered there was no bedding in it. She put Brandon down at the foot of Ryan’s bed, hoping against hope the boy wasn’t going to roll off and quickly made the bed up without a sound. Retrieving the boy, she laid him down pulled the covers up and tucked him in, remembering at the last second the boy’s cherished baby blanket was still downstairs with his other things. A few moments later, she tucked the soft bundle under the Brandon’s arm and kissed his forehead. Before leaving the room, she instinctively slipped her hand under first Ryan’s blankets and then Forest’s, and checked their diapers... as usual both boys were wet but not soaked and she thought she may have caught the whiff of a poopy diaper but decided to let it go. No use in waking the room to change a poopy panty, if it didn’t bother Ryan to sleep in poopy dydees, it didn’t bother her. This was Ardis’ nature, a born-to-it nurturer who firmly believed the universe took care of its own on its own schedule... very much a flower child a decade after the hippies had reached their zenith.

Part 2

Brandon awoke with a start. He was not in his bed and not at home. Without moving, all he could see was a colorful display of cartoon animals dancing along a strip of cloth. But immediately he new his cherished blanket was under his arm, resting between his face and some kind of small pillow. The familiar smell and fuzzy softness gave him small comfort as he fully gained consciousness and surveyed his surroundings. It was daytime, he could see the sun drifting into the room from a window somewhere. As he rolled over, he noticed the wood slats of the crib and the bumper cloth (with the dancing animals). Feeling both out of place and anxious, he sat up to look around. There were two empty beds in a room he didn’t know and he was embarrassed to find himself in a baby’s crib. His first instinct was to call for his mom, “Mommy,” he said tentatively. No answer. His anxiety grew, “Mommy!” he said again, louder still. No answer.

Gathering his wits, he climbed out of the crib and started for the door, quick to remember he’d left his blanket behind. He grabbed the tattered cloth and dragged it through the bars of the crib and headed for the door. As Brandon peered into the hall from the doorway, he heard muffled sounds coming from the end of the hall, one that sounded just like his mom’s. He ran to the room at the end of hall and flung open the door.

On a large overstuffed bed, a woman who looked strangely familiar... like his mother but not his mother... frolicked with two boys, laughing and wrestling. “Come in Brandy,” the woman said with a laugh. Brandon just stood there. The two boys paused in their tracks and smiled at the boy standing in the doorway, half in and half out of the room. “These are your two cousins, Forest and Ryan,” said the woman, whacking the closest one on the butt, making a loud “THWAP” as her hand slapped a pair of plastic pants. Brandon didn’t move, disoriented and sleepy, he didn’t make a sound. For a second no one moved.

“Oh, for heavens sake,” the woman said throwing off her covers and stepping from the mammoth bed. “I’m your Auntie Ardis, Brandy,” she smiled as walked toward the frightened tike with outstretched arms.

Brandon took a tentative step back, but her voice, sounding so much like his mom’s, and her big smile froze the boy. She swept him up in her arms and fell back into bed with Brandon in her lap. It was then that he noticed the other boys, one probably around his age and the other a year or so younger, were wearing something strange. Their jammie tops were normal, much like his, but they were wearing plastic pants like babies! It was only then that he noticed he was wearing them too! Anxious and a bit afraid, he felt himself begin to pee as he sat in Ardis’ lap.

As the warmth and wetness spread to the seat of his diaper, Ardis made a silly face at him, obviously feeling the boy wet his pants, “Oh, baby, let’s get you some dry pants,” and in a flash he was on her hip being carried across the hall. Forest and Ryan ran after, pushing and shoving each other as boys do. “Your mommy, my sister, came for a visit last night, Brandy, do you remember?” He shook his head ‘no.’ “She went to take care of some things and will be back soon. So you came to play with me and Forest and Ryan. What do you think about that?” she continued, lying him on the top of a padded table.

“But first, let’s get you some dry dydees!” Ardis said as she went about stripping away the plastic pants. At least this was a routine Brandon knew. Taking off his night diaper was a big relief. He always felt like such a baby with his nighttime diapers on but always looked forward to the attention he got during the diaper change. Ardis quickly unpinned the unfamiliar garment and deftly lifted the boy’s legs and pulled the soaking cloth from under his butt.

She gently washed his nether regions again and patted them dry. Brandon’s heart jumped when she reached under table and produced another diaper, lifted his legs again and slipped under his naked butt. He wanted to say he didn’t wear diapers during the day anymore, he wasn’t a baby, he wouldn’t have anymore accidents like the one he’d had on Ardis’ lap in her bedroom but he said nothing as she applied the powder.

Within seconds Ardis had added a thick diaper doubler and pinned the pre-fold diaper snug to his waist. Forest and Ryan wrestled on the floor until Auntie Ardis asked Ryan to run to the laundry room and bring her a clean pair of baby pants from the laundry basket...” yours, not your brother’s,” she called after him. Ryan ran from the room, slipping on the hardwood floor in his socks, landing with a thump on his diapered rear, Forest in hot pursuit. Both boys giggled as they clamored out the door.

“I know things seem a little confused Brandy,” Ardis cooed at the boy as she lifted him from the table. “But everything’s going to be all right, you’ll have fun here! Forest and Ryan are so excited you’ve come to visit.” Brandon caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror behind the door that had swung shut as the two other boys had bolted from the room. He wasn’t used to the bulky cloth diaper between his legs, even at night, his mom had used disposable diapers on him. And now, he didn’t even have the courage to tell his auntie that he didn’t need them during the day. He wondered if he looked a babyish as his cousins did in their diapers.

Ryan and Forest came bursting through the door holding a clean pair of plastic baby pants, blue with tiny colored stars on them. Auntie Ardis shook them out, bent down and silently encouraged Brandon to step into them. Reluctantly, the boy put one leg through and then the other and Ardis pulled the pants up around his diaper and high on his waist. The two boys just stood and watched, making Brandon even more self conscious. “Why don’t you show Brandon the house, boys? She said after tucking the edge of the diaper in to the elastic of the pant, “while I get breakfast ready.”

“C’mon Brandon,” shouted Ryan and he yanked Brandon so hard by the arm that he almost fell over, Forest pushing on Brandon’s jammie top from the back. At first, Brandon didn’t know what to think about all this, wandering the large house in nothing but a diaper and baby pants with two boys excitedly running from room to room, hurriedly pointing things out before bolting to the next room.

“And this is our room and Forest’s got a new bed and all our toys are over there and Barney, he’s our dog, sometimes sleeps over there,” Ryan ran and on and on.

“And that’s my new bed,” blurted Forest, “cuz I’m a big boy now!” Proud as he was, Brandon thought, he’s still in diapers and then he remembered his own diapered bottom. Feeling the bulk between his legs, the waddled walk he had and the soft crinkling of his baby pants were both frightening and strangely comforting. Looking at the crib in the corner where he’d spent the night, he wondered if he was going to have to sleep in it again.

“C’mon!” yelled Ryan. “Yeah, c’mon!” chimed in Forest as the boys ripped down the stairs. As Brandon descended the stairs, one step at a time, Forest froze at the bottom of the stairs just ahead of him. As Brandon stepped around him, he noticed a strange look on the three year old’s face, he was all red and appeared to be holding his breath. “C’mon,” shouted Ryan and Brandon scurried into the hallway past his little cousin into the kitchen.

A waft of wonderful smells greeted the boys, with Ardis busy at the stove. As Ryan poked around the kitchen counter, Ardis slapping at his grabbing hands, Forest came racing into the room with a big black dog in tow. Forest joined his brother at the counter, reaching for tidbits while the dog, a midnight black Labrador, sniffed eagerly at Forest’s butt.

It wasn’t long before everyone knew why the dog was sniffing at Forest. “Do you have poopy pants, young man?” asked Ardis in a mock angry tone, sniffing the air.

“Uh-uh, Ryan does,” retorted Forest playfully.

“Nuh-uh, you do,” shot back Ryan.

Ardis reached over and kneaded the back of Forest’s diaper, pulling back the waist of the baby pants to confirm what she already knew. “No, young man, Ryan made his poopy in his night diaper, this is definitely YOU!” And she wiped her hands on her apron and took the young Forest by the hand and lead him out of the room. “Stay out of the food until we get back and keep Barney out of it, too!” shouted Ardis as she left the room to change Forest’s diaper.

Brandon hadn’t said so much as two words to this point, caught up in the swirl of activity and chaos of the big house as his new found auntie and cousins went about starting their day. He was a shy boy not given to too much talk anyway and he positively clammed up around strangers. As Ryan stalked around the counter, picking at the food there, Brandon looked down at his new underwear again. Standing there, he wondered if he looked like his cousin, spindly preschooler legs poking out from a well padded bottom all sealed in a poofy pair of baby pants. He looked down again at his own diapers and hugged his blanket tighter.

Auntie Ardis and Forest reappeared a few minutes later, Forest in clean, dry diapers and a fresh pair of frosty yellow plastic pants, still wearing his nursery print pajama tops. Everyone took a place at the table, with Forest climbing head first into a high chair. In front of each child sat a half full sippy cup. All three boys were fitted with large bibs, colorful plastic ones with terry cloth on the underside. Still a little in shock, Brandon wanted to protest, the diapers, the sippy cup and now the bib... did Auntie Ardis really think he was such a baby? The fact that Ryan, a boy his own age, seemed all right with all this was small consolation. Brandon simply was too shy to say anything.

Brandon nibbled at his food as the boys and Ardis alternately ate and chattered away. “Well, I’ve got things to do here this morning guys, so when we’re finished here why don’t you and Brandy find something to do around the house. Flower’s coming later and maybe we’ll go do something tomorrow,” Ardis said between bites of waffle.

On hearing Flower’s name, both boys let out a big “YAY!” and threw up their arms.

“If you guys can manage to stay outta trouble while I get ready and get my stuff done, this morning, maybe tomorrow we’ll go to the zoo. But you guys have to behave!” said Ardis, in her mock stern voice.

“WE WILL, WE WILL!” shouted the two boys, more excited than ever.

“Would you like that Brandy?” she asked Brandon from across the table. He glanced quickly at his cousins who immediately looked at Brandon with eager anticipation. Forest leaned so far over his tray, his bib dragged across the his plate, scooping a prodigious amount of syrup and butter from atop his waffle in the process. Brandon looked at both boys, their faces bright with excitement and back to Ardis’ warm, teasing smile and shyly nodded ‘yes.’

Forest and Ryan immediately erupted into loud consecutive “YAYS,” bringing a momentary smile to Brandon’s face. Ardis smiled, too, the boy was adapting to the house. She understood how overwhelming all this could be but knew in her heart, Brandy was going to be just fine. She loved her boys, loved her sister (Brandon’s mom), loved her nephew, the brand new baby in her life... that was Auntie Ardis, mellow, stern when she needed to be but never vengeful or mean, nurturing and about as easy going as a person could be. If anything, Auntie Ardis’ demeanor was starting to make Brandon feel safe, taken care of and loved.

Auntie Ardis headed up to ready herself for the day, herding the boys into the nursery to play while she showered and dressed. As the brothers dragged out a basket of toy trucks from the closet, Brandon noticed the urge to poop pressing on his gut. He quickly sat down, thinking he could hold it off until Ardis was finished in the bathroom. Ryan, and then Forest, tried to involve him in their play, choosing a truck for him. The ploy worked for a while and Brandon distracted himself with a very cool fire truck. As he pushed the truck along the floor, spasms of urge rolled through his gut, each one more intense than the last. In a few minutes he felt himself pee his pants a little, momentarily relieving his urgent need to poop. Pretty soon a growing wet spot yellowed the front of his diaper as he passed more pee in his pants.

But soon enough, he was desperate to poop and very concerned he was going to do it right there in his pants. Waddling the diapered toddler waddle, Brandon went to look for Ardis... tell her he needed to poop and get her to take the diaper off so he wouldn’t be a baby and mess his pants. As he walked the hall looking for his auntie, he could feel his bottom release small amounts of poo that fell into the seat of the diaper.

At the end of the hall, Ardis’ bedroom, he heard his auntie singing. He peaked through the open door but no auntie. He followed the voice to another door, this one slightly ajar and heard the melodious voice singing softly. He stepped through the door of her bathroom. Through the steam, he saw her standing in the shower behind a semitransparent shower curtain. Her naked form stopped him in his tracks. Something deep inside his head told him he shouldn’t be here, looking at her naked but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. Brandon was transfixed, watching her lather her ample breasts all the while softly singing “...our house is a very, very fine house, with two cats in the yard...”

The spell was broken when suddenly Brandon’s bowels could hold it no longer. Two great spasms pushed two mounds of poop out, hitting the cloth and pushing up his bottom before dropping and filling the back of his diaper. Brandon stood horrified as the last of the poop dropped in his pants and a torrent of pee flooded the cloth in front.

Ardis loved this song, a Crosby, Stills and Nash classic that seemed to sum up her life. A true flower child of the 60s, she’d been a few places, seen a few things and made a few mistakes. But smart, beautiful and talented, she had finally found her calling as a potter, dumped the dead weight in her life (the men, Ryan and Forest’s father for one) and settled into a life of tranquil domesticity she couldn’t have designed any better. Her real calling, though, was as a parent, she loved kids, especially babies and her little boys the most. Yeah, she took flack from some of her more stuffy neighbors for her liberal ways but figured the boys would grow up fast enough. She’d let them be little for as long as they wanted which included no pressure from her to potty train either of them. The looks and snide remarks and extra laundry were a small price to pay for the sheer joy she got from bonding with five-year old Ryan and three year old Forest during diaper changes... and now she had yet another baby boy in her life.

Madellaine, her best friend, her agent and a local art gallery owner, was coming by later with her teenage daughter, Flower. Two of a kind, the locals gossiped, those two, Ardis and Madellaine. Some had suspicions of more than friendship, Ardis had heard the rumors, but she knew better. Yes, she loved Madellaine, but not in that way.

As she dreamily rinsed the last bits of soap from her glistening body, Ardis turned to shut off the water. It was then she thought she caught someone or something moving near the door out of the corner of her eye. But through the shower curtain and steam, she couldn’t quite make out who, or what, it may have been. “Boys?” she had grabbed her towel and opened the shower curtain, but no one was there. Must’ve been Barney, she thought to herself...

Exiting the bedroom as quietly as he could, Brandon was awash with a host of mixed emotions. Walking the gingerly walk of a toddler with wet pants full of poo, he felt embarrassed, naughty, anxious and oddly excited. His poopy “accident” was safely contained in his plastic pants, inching slowly around his loins with each step. The wetness in front had slowly been absorbed by the double diaper and spread to the bulk between his legs, enveloping him in a damp warmth that, as he walked, felt more and more pleasurable. Maybe, just maybe, auntie’s diapering wasn’t going to be so bad after all...

Part 3

It didn’t take long for Brandon’s little episode to telegraph itself around the nursery. Anyone entering the room knew immediately one of the boys had poopy pants. The boys, however, paid no notice, going about their play innocuous to the unctuous aroma following Brandon around by the seat of his pants. Ryan and Forest seemed oblivious and Brandon way too self conscious to say a word. Embarrassed, anxious and sure he had been unthinkably naughty, Brandon plopped himself down in front of his fire truck and made an effort to engage his cousins. As he hit the floor, he felt the warm mess spread even more around his diaper but within minutes he almost forgot anything had happened.

Auntie Ardis came sweeping through the door some time later, just about the time Brandon’s little accident started to make his bottom itch. Her long hair wrapped Hindu style in a towel with another towel snuggled just above her breasts, Ardis interrupted the boys’ play with firm but loving command, “Okay, guys, let’s get going, I have a bunch of things to get done before Madellaine and Flower...” He voice trailed off as the pervasive smell of poop announced itself. “Okay, who’s got poopy pants?” she asked with that sly smile on her face. She moved to Ryan first, as he was closest, wrapped one arm around him spinning him around so as his back was to her, stretched the top of his baby pants back and peered down his diaper. “Wet but not poopy,” she announced and looked at Forest. “Did you poop again, Forest?”

“No, it’s Brandon!” Forest said in a huge voice, pointing at his cousin. Brandon was sitting on the floor, unsure of what was going to happen next. His young mind told him he was going to be in BIG trouble for pooping his pants and he withdrew instinctively as Auntie Ardis advanced.

She grabbed him as she had Ryan and pulled the boy to his feet, spinning him around and pulling the diaper and pants back for her motherly exam. “C’mon, let’s get everyone clean, dry pants,” she said, taking Brandon by the hand to the changing table.

Ardis swung the young boy to the top of the table, going about the routine she knew all too well. Pulling the boy’s baby pants down (she had gotten used the smell a long time ago) and unpinning Brandon’s messy diaper, she made light of the mess inside, "Brandy! you must have been holding this one in a long time, it’s everywhere.” Then she noticed the teary look of fear washing over her new charge. “Oh, baby, what’s the matter?” she said softening her voice. “Don’t worry, I’ve seen much worse.”

Brandon was paralyzed with fear and apprehension, sure he was about to be yelled at for making such an ungodly mess in his pants. He managed a very meek, “I couldn’t help it.”

“Oh baby, don’t worry, I know you couldn’t that’s why we wear diapers,” Ardis cooed. Within minutes she had completely cleaned him up, powdered him and pinned a new diaper on him. “At this rate, though, we’re going to have to get some more pants, I don’t think we’re going to have enough for both you and Ryan to share.”

Ryan and Forest then took their turns on the table, Ardis lovingly attending to their wet diapers. Once she had Ryan off the table, she ushered all of them to the backyard, telling them to play nicely until she finished getting ready and getting her stuff done. Brandon was again a bit horrified about going outside with only a t-shirt, diaper and baby pants on. He also though it odd that both boys could handily put their own socks and shoes on and even tie their shoes but didn’t use the potty yet. But all too quickly any qualms he might have had about his attire were lost in exploring the yard and playing with his cousins.

All the boys went tearing through the backdoor when Ardis had called from the porch with sippy cups of punch. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm and the gang swooped to the stoop. Thirsty lips and parched throats made short work of the red liquid and each boy had several refills. Back in the sandbox, the consequence of all that fluid was soon pressing at Brandon’s bladder. Guiltily, he held it in quietly, occasionally grabbing the crotch of his diaper to try to stem the flow. Unable to really locate his penis through the thick cloth and surrounding plastic, his frantic little dance did little to ease his discomfort.

Forest, sitting across from his cousin, their feet almost touching, was pushing sand back and forth, laughing raucously as Brandon pushed it back. Mid-push, he stopped, half-smiled, half grimaced in a classic “potty” face. Brandon couldn’t help but notice a huge yellow wet spot spreading in Forest’s diapered crotch, easily visible through his translucent baby pants. His own eyes watering, Brandon allowed his own bladder to let go, quickly filling his crotch and then butt with a warm wetness. He was fascinated with the way the huge yellow spot spread through his loins and into the seat of his pants. Mesmerized as he stared at his own diaper and back to Forest’s diaper, Brandon again was awash in conflicting emotions, feeling both shame and excitement.

The boys played and played, Brandon feeling more and more at ease with his cousins and more comfortable in his diapers. Then Auntie Ardis was the backdoor again, calling the boys for lunch. Brandon had let go at least two more times as he played and his diaper sagged between his legs almost to his little bony knees. When he moved a certain way, too, small trickles of pee ran down his legs and collected in his socks. Ryan and Forest were also soaking wet, toddling to the backdoor baby pants sagging under the weight of sodden diapers.

Ardis hardly noticed as the boys gathered at the table and wolfed down sandwiches and milk. When Ryan popped up from his seat at the table next to Ardis, she did notice the little puddle he had left on the seat from leaky diapers. “Looks like my babies need dry pants again,” she said cheerfully and hauled all the boys up the stairs to the nursery. After fitting them with dry diapers and pulling on clean baby pants (Brandon was now wearing a translucent white pair with little nursery animals on them), she announced naptime and herded the boys across the hall to their bedroom. There was a brief pause, after laying Ryan down in his bed, as she pondered the sleeping arrangements. “Forest, why don’t you let Brandon sleep in your bed and you go back to the crib, Okay?” she asked.

Forest’s little chin fell to his chest at this news. It had been only days since transitioning from his crib to the new bed and he was still overly excited about sleeping in it. There was little chance any combination of boys sharing a bed was going to work, they were simply too big to fit two to the toddler beds Ardis had purchased. Brandon read the disappointment on Forest’s face and reluctantly volunteered, “That’s okay, Auntie, I’ll sleep in the crib,” even though it had been over a year since he had even taken a daily nap.

“Are you sure?” asked Ardis.

“Y-y-yes,” he replied shyly. And Ardis picked her nephew up, swung him over the bars and into crib.

Tucking Forest in, she told him, “That was really nice of your cousin to let you do this. I want you to be especially nice to him.” Turning to address all the boys, she said to the room, “Now boys, no fooling around, no getting up, no monkey business. You all have nice naps and when you get up Aunty Maddy and Flower will probably be here.” Laying in the crib and feeling very self-conscious, Brandon drifted slowly off to sleep. He made no attempt to stem the new flow of potty pressing on his bladder and just let it go right in his pants.

He was awakened by an odd damp feeling on his back and realized he had leaked again, wetting the bottom of his t-shirt and the sheets under him. He peered between the bars and noticed both Ryan and Forest stirring. Minutes later, both cousins were wiping sleepy bugs from their eyes as they hit the floor. “C’mon,” whispered Forest. “Yeah, c’mon echoed Ryan,” chiding Brandon from the crib. The older boy was over the bars in a snap and they all sleepily paraded down the hall and ascended the stairs.

In the living room, the boys were greeted with warm smiles and matronly sighs as Ardis, a strange woman and a teenage girl turned their attention to the new arrivals. “AUNTIE MADDY!” Ryan shouted. “FLOWER!” shouted Forest and they went tearing off to hug the two friends. Brandon hung back, fixated on the young girl hugging and laughing with his two cousins. Brandon had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life, anyone he had ever noticed that is. Her long, blonde hair framed the most lovely face he had ever seen. Bright blue eyes flashed and she smiled broadly, her full lips outlining perfectly white teeth. A wistful gauze peasant blouse made her upper body seem to float in the breeze as it moved with her. There was an odd tingling under his diaper and he was totally unaware he was again wetting his pants.

Part 4

“And this is my newest baby...Brandon,” Ardis said, introducing the shy little boy hanging back in the hall. “Come in and meet Maddy and Flower, Brandy.”

Brandon made his way to Auntie Ardis, clutching his treasured blanket, slightly embarrassed by the wet diaper drooping almost to his knees. When he was within arms reach, Ardis swept him off his feet and plopped the boy in her lap, pressing his head against her chest in an instinctual show of affection. Neither Brandon or Ardis felt the surge of pee squish past the seam of Brandon’s baby pants from the saturated diaper on to Ardis’ lap.

“You ARE a doll,” said Madellaine, running her fingers gently through Brandon’s hair. “And such bright blue eyes! Isn’t he just adorable, Flower?”

Almost afraid to look at her again, Brandon shifted his eyes toward the girl in the chair across from the couch where he sat with his auntie. Without moving his head, he strained to see her. “He’s a cutie,” said Flower, tilting her head flirtatiously and flashing a peace sign with her free hand when she saw Brandon lift his head for a better look.

Brandon immediately turned away, burying his head in his auntie’s chest when he and Flower made eye contact. “Oh my... looks like we have someone who needs a diaper change!” said Ardis, finally feeling her nephew’s urine soaking through her skirt. Brandon was immediately horrified. Yes.. he was still wearing a diaper and baby pants (with nothing on over them). Yes... he had wet his pants and even soaked his auntie’s dress. And, yes... all this was right in front of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

“I think everyone needs a clean, dry diaper,” said Flower, playfully squeezing the front of Forest’s obviously saturated diaper.

“When are you ever going to potty train these boys, Ardis?” asked Maddy, “don’t you think they’re more than ready? I mean think of all the work that would save you...”

“Maddy, they’re only going to be little for a while, what’s the rush?” Ardis brushed aside question as she lifted Brandon off her lap and inspected the huge spot on her skirt.

“Well, for one thing, you’d put an end to at least some of the gossip around town about you,” said Maddy with a laugh. “You know Mrs. Steckle, no one’s more of an authority than her on these things.” And both women laughed.

Brandon wanted to scream he didn’t need diapers, he was potty trained... at least during the day. But all he could do was turn red with embarrassment and drop his head in shame. “Now look what you’ve done, Maddy, you’ve embarrassed Brandy.”

“I think they all look adorable in diapers and agree with Ardis,” chimed in Flower and she extended her hand under Brandon’s chin, lifting his head so he could see her smile. Flower’s approval meant everything to Brandon and suddenly he felt warm and snugly again.

As the boys took their turns on the changing table, the conversation between the women changed to what they should do the next day. The park, the zoo and the movies all came up. But everyone decided it was going to be the zoo. When it was Brandon’s turn on the table, Ardis reflected on his frequent leaks, “Brandy, my dear, looks like you need a little more padding.” And she quickly added yet a third layer to his already thick diaper.

“Well, looks like we’ll have to take a trip to town,” she said, sliding Brandon’s plastic pants up his legs and over his now bulging diaper. “I’m almost out of Ryan’s bigger baby pants. Between you two boys, there’s simply not enough. SO, whatdya say we take a field trip before dinner everyone?” Opinions flew back and forth until it was decided Brandon, Auntie Ardis ands Flower would drive to town while Maddy stayed home to watch the boys and start the spaghetti sauce for dinner.

Brandon was excited to be with Flower for any reason but really anxious about heading into town. The shorts he was wearing didn’t do a thing to hide the fact that he was thickly diapered. And the plastic pants, a yellow pastel pair, protruded obviously from his leg openings as he sat in the back seat of the car and buckled up.

Any reservations he may have had about going out in public in diapers were overshadowed by his feelings for Flower. On the road to town, Flower was talkative and friendly, asking Brandon a thousand questions about where he lived, his mom, his favorite toys at home, etc. And he positively tingled all over when she grabbed his hand as they exited the car and made their way to a department store called Grants.

Inside, the three walked right to the baby department to the aisle with row upon row of baby items, including a huge array of plastic baby pants. With every step, Brandon was reminded of the bulk between his legs, causing him to waddle a bit. Ardis went right to the end of the row where almost a dozen of colored, white and printed pants hung from a display. As Ardis pondered her purchase, Brandon stood hand-in-hand with Flower hoping that no other shoppers would stroll down the aisle.

Just as a mom with two grade school girls and a baby turned the corner and headed down the aisle, Ardis was pressing a pair of bright blue pants against the front of Brandon’s shorts looking for a good fit. Frustrated, Ardis bent down and quickly loosened the boy’s shorts and let them slide down his legs to his ankles. “Oh, for heavens sake, why can’t these people make these things with any kind of consistency?” she said to no one in particular.

Brandon was mortified. Here he was standing in the middle of the store’s baby section with his diapers and plastic pants in full view while his auntie fitted different pairs of baby pants to his waist. As the family passed in the aisle, both girls looked right at Brandon and snickered. Stopping about 10 feet away as their mother waded through some kind of baby paraphernalia or another, the girls continued to stare at Brandon. The youngest one, probably about six or seven, said in a loud whisper to her sister, “Look at that boy, he’s wearing diapers,” and they both laughed some more. Sensing Brandon’s discomfort, Flower turned to the girls and dismissed them with a huff, “Stop that right now, he can’t help it!”

Now this caught the attention of the mother, who turned away from her shopping and quickly shushed the girls. But as she looked up to see what her girls were laughing at, she gave a very disapproving look at what she saw. And just about the time the woman’s eyebrow raised and her mouth turned terse, Ardis looked up from fitting Brandon. She tilted her head ever to so slightly and smiled sweetly. This just seemed to annoy the woman more; she turned quickly, grabbed the youngest girl’s arm and stomped off but not before announcing loudly, “That boy should be potty trained by now, some mothers...” Her voice trailed off. A few minutes later, Brandon, Flower and Auntie Ardis were back in the car, headed home with six new pairs of XL toddler sized baby pants in assorted colors and patterns.

After dinner, the boys were herded upstairs for a bath. Flower took charge, much to the delight of Forest and Ryan, filling the tub and stripping all the boys of their wet diapers. Ryan still felt a little shy standing naked in front of this perfect vision of loveliness but Flower had a way of pleasantly disarming him. The boys frolicked together in the huge claw footed bathtub until all the bubbles had disappeared and water turned tepid. One by one , Flower took the boys out of the tub and gently dried them off before wrapping each in a towel.

Ryan was beside himself with an indescribable feeling as Flower tended to his needs. He almost helplessly peed as she hiked him to the changing table in the nursery, laid out his diapers and spread first a lather of baby lotion then a generous handful of sweet baby powder around his loins. There was something magical as she pulled the diaper up between his legs and pinned it snugly around his waist. By the time she gently but efficiently pulled on Brandon’s new baby pants, he had completely surrendered to her.

Ardis dipped her head in the door just as Flower finished with Brandon’s diaper, “You used an extra diaper on Brandon, right?”

“Yep,” said Flower never looking up. “He’s just about ready for bed.” and she patted the back of Brandon’s butt.

“Use Ryan and Forest’s Dr. Denton’s tonight, it’s supposed to be colder. And I think Brandy has some flannel PJs in the bedroom in his suitcase,” Ardis said quickly. Flower lifted Brandon off the table in the nursery and all three boys walked with her to the bedroom. Tucked neatly in the third dresser drawer were two pair of footed sleepers, the smaller one in yellow with a farm animal print and a larger pastel blue pair with a teddy bear applique on the right chest.

Brandon stood by still feeling very conspicuous in just his diapers and baby pants as Flower helped his two cousins on with their pajamas. After sorting through Brandon’s suitcase, she found a pair of Brandon’s pajamas, a flannel set with fire trucks. She slipped the top over Brandon’s head and proceeded to help him on with the footed bottoms. They barely fit over the triple thick diapers but she managed to get them snapped in the front, leaving the back to gap where a good three to four inches of Brandon’s diaper and baby pants sticking out.

Everybody rushed downstairs for a promised game of Candyland before bed. In the midst of the game, Ardis and Maddy showed up all dressed up, gave some last minute instructions to Flower and left for the evening.

“Where are they going?” asked Brandon timidly.

“To my mom’s gallery opening for a new artist,” replied Flower, moving her piece along the game board. “They’ll be back much later, when you’re asleep.” Just as Ryan was about to win the game, the doorbell rang. It was Susan, a teenage girl from down the street and a Flower’s classmate. They hugged briefly and the two skipped back into the family room of the big house. “Okay, guys, time for bed!” exclaimed Flower.

“Awwwww, c’mon, we haven't even finished a game yet,” shouted Ryan.

“Yeah, not even one game,” followed Forest. Brandon remained silent.

“C’mon, one more game, please?” pleaded Ryan. “Please. please, PLEASE? C’mon Susan can play.” He stood up and Brandon wondered how Ryan could so bold, standing in front of these two BEAUTIFUL girls in his PJs, a diaper clearly bulging under the fleece. Then Susan turned her attention right to Brandon and asked, “Who’s this?”

Brandon felt his gut do flip flops and the odd tingling sensation return to his loins. “This is Forest’s and Ryan’s cousin, Brandy,” said Flower. “He’s come for a visit.”

“I see he fits right into the family,” said Susan, reaching down and patting back of Brandon’s seat. Brandon could feel his face flush when the girl touched the back of his baby pants.

Flower gave in, and the boys played one more game of Candyland as a team against the girls, who let them win, before heading upstairs for bed. Brandon reluctantly climbed into the crib, clutching his blanket and the two girls tucked all of the them in. Flosser dutifully stuck a hand down each boy’s pajama and ran a finger along the edge of the plastic pants checking for wet diapers before finally covering each boy with a comforter.

“Oh, shoot,” said Flower, “I forgot their bottles.” She ran downstairs and returned with three baby bottles filled with milk. Forest and Ryan each took one eagerly but Brandon was confused and embarrassed once again. Although he took it when offered, he just tucked it into his arm and left it there. Then the two girls turned down the light and left the room.

In the dark stillness, Brandon could hear his cousins sucking their bottles. He just lay there, feeling more and more homesick. All the suddenness of the last two days finally caught up with him... the strange house, the strange habits, his being back in diapers and sleeping in a crib, his encounter with Ardis in the bathroom, the department store incident... and it overwhelmed him. Long after his two cousins were fast asleep, Brandon lay in the strange room, crying softly. He could find little comfort in his blanket, only as faint smell of his old bed in his old house in his old neighborhood, where he and his mom lived.

Hours passed and by the time Flower came back in to the room to check on the boys, Brandon was sobbing, nearly choking on every breath. “Oh, baby, what’s the matter?”

“I want my mommy,” Brandon choked out between sobs. Flower lifted the boy from the crib and carried him on her shoulder to the nursery, as not to wake the other two. Inside the nursery, she flicked on a small night light and set herself down in the rocker, Brandon in her lap. Rocking back and forth, she made a valiant effort to calm him to sleep, first wiping away both snot and tears before hugging him tightly. Brandon kept sobbing quietly, begging for his mommy. A half hour passed and Susan had come and gone when it was obvious her girlfriend was going to be busy for a while. After more than an hour, nothing the young Flower could do was working.

After two hours of rocking and walking with Brandon on her lap and shoulder alternately, Flower was nearly exhausted. The front door tripped and she was relieved to hear her mother and Ardis return. They called her name when they didn’t see her immediately in the living room and she walked downstairs with Brandon on her shoulder, pathetically sucking air between cries for his mom.

“The poor little guy is really upset,” Flower said, passing off Brandon to Ardis, “he keeps crying for his mommy.” Ardis took the boy and paced for minute, assessing the situation. “I’ll handle this. Why don’t you two head for bed.”

As Ardis’ firm experience enveloped Brandon, with her familiar voice and similar smell to his mommy, he relaxed a bit. She walked Brandon upstairs and when she felt he might be finally falling asleep she put the boy down on her bed and quickly undressed.

Once on the big bed, though, Brandon sensed he was again alone and he continued crying for his mommy. She let the boy cry for moment as she finished putting on her nighty, then scooped him up and headed for the nursery down the hall. In the nursery, she lay the boy on the changing table and quickly removed a wet diaper, cleaned him up and replaced it with a new one. Brandon hardly noticed. Then with the Brandon in her lap, she sat in the rocker. Back in her loving fold, Brandon calmed a bit, but was well past the point of relaxing enough to fall asleep. Ardis knew exactly what to do. Propping the boy up for a minute she undid her nighty and bared her breast. Forest was still taking a breast a couple of times a week at three.

Once it was offered, Brandon took the nipple in his mouth instinctively and let the sweet warm elixir bath his raw throat. As soon as she knew the boy was close, Ardis began to sing softly, her favorite song, “Our house is very, very, very fine house...”

Part 5

Brandon awoke slowly, again with that far away feeling he wasn’t in his bed at home. Opening his eyes was hard, they seemed crusted over and scratchy. So he just lay there, clutching the familiar blanket still with the faint aroma of his mom. He panicked just a bit when he felt the need to pee and surprised himself when the sudden urge turned to a warm flow and relief. As he rolled to his back, the puddle spread quickly throughout the back of his diaper, sending little rivulets of pee cascading down his bottom. It kind of tickled and he grinned subconsciously.

He climbed out of the crib and, still clutching his blanket, moved to the door. Ryan and Forest must be up because both beds were empty. As he reached the door and turned to head down the hall, Flower appeared from the next bedroom wearing only a short tank top and her panties. “Hey there Brandy,” she said with a bright smile and sleepy voice. “Tough night, huh?”

She tousled his hair and took his hand and they both walked down the hall to the stairs. In the kitchen they found Ryan, Forest and Maddy at the table. “Good morning sleepy heads,” Maddy said with a smile behind a steamy cup of coffee. Ryan and Forest, their mouths full of oatmeal, just waived. Brandon followed Flower into the large kitchen with an obvious waddle. His saturated diaper, while not leaking this time, was sagging to his knees. “Before you sit down Flower why don’t you take Brandon upstairs and change his diaper. Poor boy looks like he’s about to lose his drawers there.”

“Sure,” she said cheerfully, “Let’s go get you some dry pants, Mister Brandy!” With this prospect, Brandon’s mood brightened considerably. He had become infatuated with Flower and any attention she paid him coursed warm tinglies all through his body. His tummy fluttered, his pulse quickened and his face flushed red. On the changing table upstairs, she unsnapped Brandon’s pajama bottoms and slid them down and off his legs. As she reached for the top of his baby pants, he instinctively now raised his bottom to make it easier. Any unease he may have felt about appearing in saturated diapers was offset by the thrill of having this lovely creature pay attention to him. The wet diaper’s sour smell was quickly erased as Flower gently wiped away the last few drops of Brandon’s last little accident and spread a handful of baby lotion around his diaper area. Brandon was a little anxious as Flower folded three pre-folded gauze baby diapers together and, with the practiced hand of a total pro, raised the boy’s legs to slip the cloth underneath. A sprinkling of baby powder and Flower pulled the thick diaper up between Brandon’s legs, leaving it sit on his tummy momentarily while she reached for some pins stuck in a nearby bar of soap. Still a little embarrassed by his new daytime dependence, Brandon was thoroughly enjoying all the attention. He felt secure and loved and cared for as she pinned the diapers around his waist, lifted him off the table and retrieved a fresh pair of plastic pants. Again, as if he had never been out of diapers, he lifted one foot and then the other as she helped him into the baby pants. Just the touch of Flower’s arm against his cheek as the girl stood behind him helping him into the baby pants was enough to send more little quivers of excitement through his spine. If he had to stay in diapers for the rest of us life just to be close to Flower, he’d do it.

Hand in hand, the two trekked back to the kitchen, Brandon’s baby pants crinkling as he waddled down the stairs. Maddy had set a place for Brandon at the table with a hot bowl of fresh oatmeal, a sippy cup of milk, spoon and a large plastic bib. Brandon had never had oatmeal before and he was a little suspicious at first. Flower spooned in two heaping mounds of sugar and a dollop of milk and fastened the bib around Brandon’s neck. Again, the gentle touch of Flower’s fingers at the nape of his neck caused Brandon a mighty shiver. “Are you cold?” asked Maddy, then noticing that the boy was missing his pajama bottoms, “No wonder the boy’s cold Flower, you forgot his jammie bottoms!” Ryan and Forest peered under the table to look as if on cue.

“No worry,” Maddy said with a smile, “”we’ll be getting ready soon because we’re all going...”

“TO THE ZOO!” shouted Ryan and Forest in unison, throwing their arms in the air. Brandon smiled and turned his attention to the cereal. He picked at it at first, not quite sure what to make of it. After a minute of watching Brandon move the spoon around the bowl but never actually take a bite, Maddu reached over, retrieved the spoon and offered Brandon a bite. He took it reluctantly and rolled the cereal around in his mouth, tasting the sugar and warm milk. It was okay, a little mushy, but he was hungry and he eagerly took another bite when Maddy offered.

Ardis came down the stairs and into the kitchen, prompting Ryan and Forest to excitedly dash from the table into their mother’s arms shouting, “WE’RE GOING TO THE ZOO! WE’RE GOIN’ TO THE ZOO!” Ardis lovingly hugged both boys, kissed them both on the cheek and made a silly face.

“Well, we’re certainly not going anywhere with stinky pants,” she said looking from Ryan to Forest and back to Ryan. “Who’s got a messy bottom here?”

Ryan visibly blushed and grabbed at the seat of his baby pants, giving himself away instantly. “I’ll get the Ryan’s diapers changed,” volunteered Maddy, “and get the boys dressed. Why don’t you get some breakfast and a cup of coffee. God Knows you had a tough night.”

Everyone left, leaving Brandon and Auntie Ardis at the table alone. She sipped some coffee while he played with his food. She watched the boy as she sipped her coffee, “Feeling better this morning Brandy?” Brandon shook his head yes... actually elated to be going to the zoo. “Good, we’ll have a better day today, won’t we?” and she smiled not expecting an answer, knowing from the way Brandon started downing his breakfast things were already better.

Everyone piled into Maddy’s big van, dressed for a day at the zoo. Brandon’s light blue corduroy pull-ons barely fit over his diapers and baby pants, enveloping the bulge. Every time he moved, the back of his trousers inched south, exposing a good bit of his baby pants. He hardly cared, too excited by the prospects of watching his favorite animals... especially the bears and especially the polar bears. Ryan and Forest were both in overalls with snap legs, their diapers and baby pants clearly visible through the gaps in the snaps when they sat down.

About an hour later, everyone piled out of van, the three boys almost bolting for the zoo entrance. “Hey, hey guys... slow down, wait for us,” shouted Ardis, stopping the boys in their tracks. Ardis, Maddy and Flower each shouldered a diaper bag and the entourage was off to see the animals. The broke cool but sunny and by the time they reached the gate, it was a gloriously warm.

The big cats were first... Ryan insisted. And somewhere between the cats and the monkey cages, they all got popcorn. As they marveled at the various monkey’s antics, Brandon’s stomach started to ache a bit. Watching two lethargic gorillas stare at them from their vast enclosure at the next exhibit, Brandon’s stomach was now doing flip-flops. But he didn’t say anything; they hadn’t even seen the bears yet, although he was feeling more and more puny. And he didn’t give a second thought to peeing his pants the moment he felt the urge.

As they meandered through the rest of the zoo, Brandon was fighting a terrific urge to poop and mighty waves of cramps but he resisted with every impulse. While he wanted to say something, he was embarrassed and he certainly didn’t want anything to delay the rest of the trip. On the far side of the zoo, they all boarded a tour bus, thinking they’d grab lunch at the front gates and tackle the second half of the day from there. Flower wanted to see the reptile house and Brandon had asked about a dozen times when they were going to see the bears. Brandon’s resolve to hold his BM was weakening, and he could feel little poofs of what he thought was gas escape every time he exerted himself at all. Ryan, Forest and Brandon all piled into a double seat in the bus while Maddy and Ardis sat across the isle and Flower sat behind the boys.

What began as a little sparring between the boys imitating their favorite animals grew into light rough housing. And when Forest sunk his fingers into Brandon’s side, mimmicking an African Cape buffalo, he broke down in a fit of ticklish laughter, which, in turn loosed everything in his strained bowels. Brandon froze for just a second, feeling the flood of poop fill the back of his diaper followed very quickly by a second burst. Just as a third burst let loose, Forest again plunged his horned fingers into Brandon’s side, sending him again into a fit of giggles.

“Excuse me,” a young woman with two kids of her own sitting just behind Maddy and Ardis whispered, “are those your boys?”

Immediately taking notice of the boys’ roughhousing, Ardis turned to the boys and scolded them to behave themselves.

“No, no. They’re fine, but I think one of them has had a little accident,” the woman pointed to Brandon’s pants. Ardis looked back across the isle and saw a large wet brown stain leaking out of both sides of Brandon’s diaper and spreading down his pants legs.

“Omigod...thank you!” Ardis said to the woman.

“Brandy, come here dear,” she turned her attention to the boys. Brandon turned with to Ardis, frightened that he was in trouble for fooling around. Ardis, seeing the frightened look on the boy’s face, calmly said, “It’s okay, you’re not in trouble, just come here for a moment and she reached across the isle and pulled him closer by the waistband of his pants. She gently turned him around and pulled the back of his waistband back, clearly exposing his diaper and peered down to see the damage.

“Oh boy, Brandy’s had a blowout,” she half laughed, snapping the waistband back. The back half of the bus filled immediately with the dense stench of Brandon’s dirty diaper. A couple of people got up and moved away including the young woman who first alerted Ardis. Two boys around Brandon’s age pointed at Brandon and loudly informed their mother, “That boy is wearing diapers and he pooped his pants!”

“Enough!” retorted the woman and she grabbed the boys and moved to the front of the bus, too. The boys were laughing at Brandon as they pressed gingerly by him in the isle, not wanting to come anywhere near him. “We’ll get you changed when we stop,” said Ardis.

The bus came slowly to a halt near the front gates and zoo concessions and everyone hurried off the bus, eager to escape the smell permeating through the interior. Ardis held Brandon’s hand as her extended family exited the bus... dead last. She told Maddy to go ahead and get in line for food while she took Brandon over to the bathroom. Flower said she’d go with Ardis and Brandon, as she needed to use the potty.

Feeling better but very embarrassed by his accident, Brandon could feel the wet spots on the inside of his thighs and the ones down the back of his cords. He could also see large watery brown spots had spread out in each direction from the edges of his baby pants. Once in the ladies bathroom, there was a small line to use the lone changing table. Almost everyone in line was either a small baby or a young toddler. Brandon was clearly the oldest by several years. As the line grew, a girl about Forest’s age in the company of her mother and her infant brother cued up behind Ardis and Brandon. Now extremely self conscious about his situation, Brandon was trying with all his might to simply disappear when he heard the girl announce in a loud toddler voice, “That boy poopied his pants! Is that why he’s wearing diapers?”

“Probably Amy, now leave him alone,” the young mother said.

“I’m a big girl, I don’t need diapers, huh mommy?” the girl came back.

“Yes, dear, you’re a big girl.”

“How come you’re still wearing diapers?” the girl directed the question at Brandon’s back and he briefly turned around to see the girl. “Don’t you know how to use the potty?” Brandon was on the verge of tears and he felt his stomach tighten again. As the line moved forward, Brandon was helpless stop another watery burst in into the crotch of his diaper. “Mommy, that boy just pooped his pants again, I heard it!” she nearly shouted as the stain continued to spread in his light blue pants, accentuating the fact he was diapered.

They finally reached the changing table and Ardis went to work, stripping off Brandon’s messy cords. She then carefully lifted him on to the table where he just lay back and closed his eyes and stuck his thumb in his mouth, an obvious calming reflex. As Ardis peeled back the plastic pants, the small bathroom filled with the nasty odor of messy diapers. But within a few minutes, she had Brandon all clean, a fresh diaper pinned on and everything contained in a plastic bag inside her diaper bag. All the wile, people behind whispered about the older boy on the table, wondering if he was retarded, slow or just naughty. As Ardis slipped a clean pair of baby pants past the boy’s shoes and over the dry diaper, Flower joined them. “Does he have a clean pair of pants?” wondered Flower.

“No, that’s the one thing we didn’t bring. He’ll just have to wear the diapers and baby pants,” said Ardis, “Good thing it turned out to be a warm day. He’ll be fine. C’mon Brandy, let’s some lunch and then we’ll see the bears, okay?” This made Brandon feel a little better but he still hung his head as they made their way past the line of mothers, kids, toddlers and babies waiting for the changing table, the thick diapers giving him a distinct waddle and the white translucent baby pants with bright colored polka dots crinkled loudly. Just as they were making their way out the door, an obviously perturbed mother was yanking a young boy toward the door, his pants dripping with fresh pee. As they nearly collided, the mother looked down at Brandon and angrily scolded her son, “When we get home young man, you’re going right back into diapers... just like that boy.” As the boy saw Brandon standing next to Ardis in nothing but his t-shirt, diaper, baby pants, socks and shoes, his eyes grew huge.

As the trio reunited with Maddy and Brabdon’s cousins, their lunch already half consumed, Maddy volunteered to take Ryan and Forest over to the bathroom for a fresh diaper. “Maddy, the line’s impossible. Here,” she said handing her friend a changing pad from the diaper bag, “just take them over there on the grass and change them there. As Brandon gingerly nibbled at a hot dog, he watched while Ryan and then Forest were changed right out in the open. Sitting close to his auntie, between Flower, he told himself he didn’t care if he was just wearing diapers and everybody could see... he was going to see polar bears.

to be continued…