Riley

3

Her parents were already in the kitchen when she came downstairs. From behind the ajar door, Riley heard the vibrating noise of the coffee machine and the sounds Dad made when he sucked milk from his bowl. Neither of them was talking; what had happened last night had shaken them to the point that they could no longer have a normal conversation, Riley surmised.

She could not go back up to her room, her mother would come to wake her up and ask questions again about the....

At that moment, Riley remembered the diaper she was wearing. It had been years since she had peed in bed, and now that she was wearing a diaper, her old problem was back.

"Yikes," she said as she pulled her pajama pants forward and looked at the bulging diaper.

"Riley?" her mother called her from the kitchen. "Honey, is that you?"

Riley pushed open the door. "Good morning."

"Did you sleep well?" asked her father cozily.

Riley nodded and sat down in her usual place. After that, her mother also joined them, holding her cup of freshly brewed coffee.

"Are you okay ... down there?" her mother asked curiously, catching sight of the little girl's pants.

"Um..." stammered Riley impishly. "Maybe not."

"Don't worry," her mother snapped at her in a soothing tone, "later, we'll fix it."

"Okay."

"Do you want cereal or cookies with a bowl of warm milk?" her father proposed as he stood up.

"I'm not... in the mood... in the mood for breakfast, Dad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," replied Riley confidently. "In your opinion, am I crazy?"

Both Greg and Helen were horrified by her question. They looked at each other for a moment, without thinking twice Greg reassured her, "No, no, no. You are not crazy, you are perfect just the way you are."

Riley's eyes began to glaze over. "Even though ... I want to wear diapers? Even though ... I'm 11 years old?"

Greg opened his mouth to answer, but Helen beat him to the timing. In a firm, loving voice she said, "Yes. If that's what you want, we'll let you."

"Really?" the little girl asked, wiping away a tear that ran down one eye. Then she looked her mother straight in the eye.

"Yes," she reassured her. "But there will be rules."

Riley looked at her mother and father interdictedly. "Rules? What kind of rules?"

Greg was also puzzled, but said nothing.

Her mother Helen resumed speaking. "If you want to wear a diaper, just tell us and we'll put it on. This implies that
only Dad and I will be able to change you and, most importantly, check it if you had an "accident."

"If you would not like to wear it and put on big girl panties, just tell us and we will accommodate you. This is first rule. All clear?"

"Yes," Riley answered truthfully. She had never taken her eyes off her mother throughout the whole talk.

"Second rule: the diaper issue stays between us. It will be our secret. You will only wear it when it's just the three of us. Before you ask, you won't wear it at school, the reason you can guess for yourself," Helen explained.

"Fair enough," commented the 11-year-old. "Can I wear it when I go out with you?"

"Yes," replied Greg confidently. "I remind you that only Mom and I are aware of your 'secret.' Keep that in mind."

"Are there any other rules?" asked Riley innocently.

"Nothing else comes to mind at the moment," said Greg then asked his consort, "Do you have any other rules in mind?"

"I have nothing to add at the moment."

"I do have an addition in mind," Riley spoke cautiously. "But it's not a rule, can I make it anyway?"

Helen and Greg exchanged a doubtful look, but they both wanted to hear what their little girl had to say. It was Helen who gave her the floor.

"I'd like to get some pull-ups," Riley began determinedly, and seeing the doubtful looks from her parents, she had to make a long speech, "They're panties that are also diapers. If I started wearing diapers, I would start peeing or doing number two without me knowing it. With pull-ups I can go to the bathroom as if I were wearing regular panties.

"They are easier to put on. You would rip the sides and slip it on like regular panties. They also have a symbol on the front to tell if I need to be changed."

"I have two questions," Greg said puzzled. "When would you wear them? Then, how do you know all these things?"

"I'll answer the second question: it's all written on their packages. Answering the first, I could put them on alternately with my underwear to stay trained to go to the bathroom at all times," the little girl answered excitedly.

"They can also come in handy for going out," commented Helen. "I think we've talked enough, how about we go get ready?"

"To go where, Mom?"

"We're going shopping, honey," replied her mother, taking her by the hand and walking her out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" asked Greg curiously.

"We're going to get ready," replied Helen playfully. "Someone needs a clean diaper."

*

Riley was surprised by her mother's skill and care in cleaning her and putting on her new diaper. The night before it seemed like it was one of the first times she had done it; today, however, she was a veteran with a long experience behind her.

"Done," her mother told her as she attached the last tape. "Get changed and remember to put on something that will hide the diaper better."

The little girl opted for a long dark green sweatshirt and a pair of black jeans. In front of the mirror, even she could not tell if she was wearing a diaper. Great, I'm ready.

Thirty minutes later, mother and daughter, hand in hand, entered the supermarket. Helen was struck to see that sincere smile on her daughter's face. She could not remember when was the last time she had seen her smile like that.

Finding the pull-ups was as easy as drinking a glass of water. Riley was over the moon in grabbing the package. Seeing the caricatures of cartoon characters on a pink background left her speechless. She found them as gorgeous as the diaper she was wearing.

After paying, they returned home. Once they returned, Helen took the opportunity to check her diaper. She took her to herself, pulled down her jeans and felt her well: she had peed, she had peed a lot! She led her to her room, The little girl threw herself on the bed, eager to be changed clean.

"Mom, can I put on one of the pull-ups?" asked Riley as her mother opened her diaper.

She grabbed a washcloth and set about cleaning her private parts. Not thinking much about it, she replied, "All right, but when you have to go to the bathroom you have to tell us."

Having finished cleaning her thoroughly and applying the cream, Helen helped Riley put on her first pull-up. The little girl did, quite literally, jump for joy.

"How are they?" asked her mother.

"It's a cross between a diaper and underwear. They are so comfortable!" replied the 11-year-old happily.

Helen rolled up the soiled diaper, then said to her, "I'm going to make lunch. Remember to go to the bathroom and rememtell us, okay?"

"Okay, Mom," she slipped on her jeans. Just before her mother came out of her room, Riley called her.

"Thank you," she told her.

Helen smiled at her and left.

For a moment, Riley felt like the luckiest little girl in the world.