Diapers for Jessica

Chapter 1

It was a bright, sunny June day when Jessica Anderson arrived home after her last cheerleading practice for the year. She shut the door of her red convertible, grabbed her bookbag, and headed into the house to shower and change; she wanted to look presentable before going next door to babysit her neighbors' ten-month-old daughter for the evening.

Upon entering the house, Jessica went upstairs to her room, placed her books on her bed, and undressed. Throwing her uniform into the laundry, she headed to the bathroom to freshen up after a vigorous practice session.

Having showered, Jessica wrapped a towel around herself and went back to her room to change. She chose a matching thong and bra, as well as a pair of blue denim shorts and a pink baby doll t-shirt. After drying herself thoroughly, Jessica put on her clothes and stood in front of her full-length mirror to comb her straight, shoulder-length brown hair. Taking a scrunchie from her dresser, she put her hair into a ponytail and put on a pair of flip-flops. Grabbing her purse and her keys, Jessica was now ready to head next door to the Roberts'. On her way down the stairs, she passed her fourteen-year-old sister, Elizabeth.

"If anyone asks, I'm next door babysitting Amanda. I told Mom I was going, but please remind her just in case she forgets," Jessica said.

"Sure thing, Jess. Have fun," replied Elizabeth.

"Thanks," Jessica said as she headed next door. She loved sitting for Amanda; the girl was adorable and so full of energy!

Jessica didn't know it yet, but this particular evening would change her life forever. Just as she got to the door, Mrs. Roberts opened it for her.

"Hi Jess," Mrs. Roberts said. "I was just about to come see if you had forgotten about this evening. Come on in! Amanda is napping right now, so you don't have to worry about her just yet."

"Thanks, Mrs. Roberts. Sorry I wasn't here earlier. I had my last cheerleading practice today, so I needed to shower before I came over."

"That's okay, sweetie. Mr. Roberts and I are leaving now. The emergency numbers are on the refrigerator where they usually are, so you know where to reach us if you need anything. We'll be home around ten this evening. You have fun now!"

"Okay, I will. You too!"

After they left, Jessica walked into the nursery where Amanda was sleeping soundly. She admired her there, sleeping in her crib without a care in the world. Jessica took the receiver of the baby monitor and went into the living room to watch television. She turned the TV on and started flipping through channels, looking for something to watch. Eventually, Jessica settled on Bugs and Daffy cartoons on Cartoon Network. Within a half-hour, she was sound asleep on the couch.

As she drifted into sleep, she had the strangest and most wonderful dream imaginable. Images of herself as a baby flashed through her mind in rapid-fire succession before fading into a scene where she was in Amanda's room, lying in a crib just like Amanda's. Just as the fade-in was complete, baby Jessica awoke, and the perspective changed to inside her head.

It was strange, Jessica's dream self-noted. She still had the mind of a seventeen-year-old, but she had the body of a baby. She sat up to get a better sense of her surroundings. As she shifted her weight underneath her bottom, she heard a distinct crinkling sound. She was wearing a diaper. It was just like the diapers that Amanda wore. It fit her snugly and was oddly comforting. She wondered if she was experiencing what it was like to be Amanda through her dream. Everything looked huge from this new perspective. If she stood up, she doubted that her head would reach above the railing on the crib. Dwarfed by her surroundings though she was, it all felt strangely soothing. She laid back down and instinctively put her thumb in her mouth. The scene faded to black.

The next scene that faded in was one Jessica couldn't make sense of: she was still lying in a crib, still sucking her thumb, and still wearing a snug diaper, but she was not in the Roberts' house; she recognized the posters on the wall. The room she was in was her own. The crib she laid in was where her bed was supposed to be. Where her red oak dresser used to be, there was a pink-painted pine changing table completely stocked with disposable diapers, baby wipes, and baby powder.

Then her dream became stranger. Elizabeth, her fourteen-year-old sister, walked in and stood at the crib's railing, staring down at her.

"Hi there, baby girl," Elizabeth cooed as she lowered the crib railing. "You're awake, I see. I just thought I'd come up and see if your diaper needed changing."

Jessica could hardly believe her ears, but then she remembered that she was sleeping in a crib, sucking her thumb, and wearing a diaper—it was entirely possible that her diaper needed changing. Still, didn't Elizabeth remember that Jessica was three years older than she was? Nonetheless, Elizabeth coaxed her out of the crib and onto the changing table across the room. Just as Elizabeth removed the tapes and pulled the diaper out from between Jessica's legs, Jessica was startled by the sound of crying.

Jarringly awoken from her strange dream, Jessica became aware of her surroundings. She realized that the crying she was hearing was Amanda via the baby monitor. As Jessica got up to go to the nursery, she realized she had been sucking her thumb in her sleep. Jessica removed her thumb from her mouth and wiped it on her shorts. What a weird dream, she thought to herself.

Upon entering the nursery, Jessica lowered the crib railing and picked Amanda up to see that she needed a diaper change.

How ironic, Jessica thought. She carried Amanda over to the changing table and changed her diaper, trying not to think about her dream. When she finished changing her, she looked at the clock. It was eight-thirty; the Roberts would be home in an hour and a half. Jessica decided that it was about time the two of them had some dinner. She carried Amanda into the kitchen and placed her in her high-chair while she made her a bottle of formula. She microwaved it for a minute or so, then tested it on her wrist to make sure it wasn't too hot. Picking Amanda back up, Jessica carried her over to the couch and fed her the bottle. Once Amanda had finished, Jessica put the girl in her playpen in the living room so she could fix herself something to eat.

After making herself a sandwich and having a glass of milk, Jessica returned to the living room to find Amanda playing with some blocks in her playpen. Jessica picked her up and carried her over to the couch, where she held her while she watched television. The two of them sat like that until about nine-thirty when Amanda fell asleep. Jessica carried Amanda back up to her crib and tucked her into it. She was about to head downstairs when a package of diapers caught her eye. I doubt the Roberts will notice if I take one or two, Jessica thought to herself. She took two of Amanda's diapers out of the package and brought them downstairs. She stashed the diapers in her purse and, just as she started zipping her purse, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts walked in the door.

"Well, hello," Jessica said half-nervously, wondering if Mrs. Roberts had caught a glimpse of the diapers in her purse as she zipped it.

"Hi Jess," Mrs. Roberts replied cheerfully, "I hope we didn't startle you. How was your evening?"

"Oh, no! It was just fine. I put Amanda back in her crib half an hour ago. She was an angel as usual."

"Oh, that's good to hear. Here's the money for this evening. Thank you once again for all of your help."

"Oh, it was my pleasure," Jessica said. She then grabbed her purse, took the money from Mrs. Roberts, and headed out the door.

Having checked in on her sleeping Amanda, Mrs. Roberts glanced at the package of diapers. A smile of growing comprehension appeared on her face.

"John, honey?" she said to her husband in the other room.

"Yes, dear?"

"It looks like Amanda's almost out of diapers. Would you mind picking up some next time you go to the store?"

"Sure thing, dear."