Wendy looked about the parking lot trying not to let her inner voice be too harsh with her. Every problem has a solution, she reminded herself, and the consequences of her mistake and bad luck wouldn't be ruinous. That didn't stop her from feeling like a failure of a mommy.
The day had been going so well too. She'd woken up refreshed, ready to take advantage of a free day. Her husband had been a ball of sunshine from the moment she walked into his nursery, smiling ear to ear at her, grabbing his crib bars and bouncing with excitement.
The morning played out like she hoped most mornings would when she decided to regress her husband back to adult toddlerhood. He behaved during his morning diaper change and breakfast, only pouting a little when she told him he'd have oatmeal for breakfast again, but soon smiling and giggling as she airplained the whole bowl into his mouth. He didn't whine when she put him in an extra thick diaper and crinkly plastic pants or complain about the bright yellow onesie and green shortalls as too babyish. He even thanked her when she attached the pacifier ribbon to his shortalls.
She'd beamed at her hubby standing there in his adorable outfit with his velcro shoes, his diaper bulging out around his waist, sucking his pacifier and clutching his favorite stuffy. She wanted to just eat him up he was so cute! Then she looked at her phone and realized how behind they were on her schedule for the day, so she hastily grabbed the diaper bag by the door and ushered him into her car.
Wendy's good mood grew when her hubby practically bolted out of the car after she parked. They'd gone on strolls and picnics here well before he was back in pampers but Wendy didn't think he'd ever been happier at the park than he was that morning. She'd been relieved, he could still be self conscious in public. She'd been an early adopter of adult baby treatment in their area, so it had been a while before he got to see anyone else his age being treated like a big baby. Wendy didn't see any of that hesitancy now though. She let her husband run around at first, then she took him on a short walk before ushering him to the empty playground. His squeals of joy as he pumped his legs on the swing melted Wendy's heart.
She'd been reluctant to tell him that they would need to go soon, but she was still trying to keep to her schedule for the day and lunch time was coming up. "Come on baby, we need to get some nummies in you before you get cranky."
"Do we hafta go now though?" The wide eyed pleading look he gave her almost made her change her mind, not quite though.
"We've got yummy food at home baby, and we can always come back!" She probed between the snaps of his shortalls and onesie. "Ooh we got a wet diaper hun! Luckily it's not too wet and you've got these new thick diapies so you can go straight in your high chair when we get home."
He took her hand and they started walking toward the car. She felt him start to lag behind after a few paces and slow down until he wasn't moving at all. She turned to let him know that they were going home now no matter how slow he walked. He face was puckered and red, he was slowly squatting slightly and standing up, grunting every time he lowered himself. After a few repetitions he remained in his squat for a few moments than slowly stood up.
"It looks like somebody went poopy." Wendy bent down and sniffed his bottom. "Smells like it too! Did you go poopy in your diapie baby? Did you make a stinky diaper so we could stay at the park longer?"
Her husband had giggled and shook his head. "Nuh huh just hadda go," he said shyly.
Wendy had been so proud in that moment of her husband no longer hesitating at all filling his diaper in public. While not thrilled to delay returning home to change a dirty diaper she thought she'd at least be able to verify the park now had an adult changing table in the family restroom, or she'd get to do her first back seat poopy diaper change.
Back at the car she'd stared at the nearly empty diaper bag. She saw the wipes, the powder, the rash cream. She saw the extra rattle, the old bag of cheerios she should really throw away, but no diapers. She'd recounted going into the nursery, reaching under the changing table, and grabbing a stack of diapers. She'd taken them back to the front door, put them down next to the diaper bag...
Wendy smacked her forehead when she remembered turning around and saw her husband standing in the doorway looking so adorable. She'd taken out her phone to take a picture, then looked at the time, and in a hurry had snatched up the diaperless diaper bag and hustled them to the car.
She'd forced a smile on her face and turned to face her husband. "Change of plans baby! We're gonna go straight home and take care of your icky diaper!" He's not that poopy, she'd thought, and it's not like he usually minds anyways. She'd have rather avoided a car ride smelling a poopy diaper, but they were only 10 minutes from their house. So she'd helped him in the back, grimacing a bit when she heard his diaper squish against the seat.
When she heard the engine sputter when she turned to key, Wendy put her head on the steering wheel. A dead batter, she left her head there and turned the key a few more times.
Her husband's whimpers in the backseat had brought her back to reality. She turned to see him sniffling in the backseat. "It's ok baby, just a little car trouble. I'll get this sorted soon, don't you worry."
"P-po-poopy Mommy, gotta go poo poo." He whimpered around his thumb.
Wendy hurried getting him out of the backseat and as soon as she did he grimaced, squatted again with his butt sticking out far behind him, and noisily went about messing his diaper again. Wendy rubbed his back as she did, hoping his diaper would hold.
So here she was, a big baby husband in desparate need of a change, one dead car battery, and no diapers.
Ok, I can blame myself later for all this, what do I do now? She glanced back at her husband, whimpering now, clutching his stuffy, and wandering aimlessly around. She wanted to comfort him and let him suckle, but she didn't want to risk any other accidents in his diaper.
It was about 30 minutes to walk back to their house, far too long after he'd already tired himself out. Her mom was out of town. Their neighbor Mia who sometimes babysat was working today. She could call a car, but what driver would take an adult baby with a loaded diaper?
Suddenly Wendy spotted a car driving towards them and park. Two young women got out of the car and starting walking towards them. They both noticed Wendy and waived at her then one wrinkled her nose before spotting Wendy's husband, the women the ribbed her friend.
"Oh uh excuse me! Sorry to bother you two but I'm in a bit a bind," Wendy walked a bit towards the young women, guessing they were in or just out of college, she nodded to her husband. "We were just on our way home but I think I've got a dead battery, you don't happen to have jumper cables do you?"
The first women to notice them was covering her nose, while the other seemed to stunned to move. "I'm Wendy by the way, and this is Petey, my husband."
The women with her nose covered ribbed her friend again, "like your brother," she said and nodded toward Petey who seemed to be trying to shrink where he stood.
The ribbed women seemed to leave her stupor. "Right yeah, we can help. I'm Rachel, and this" she handed her friend her car keys, "is Maddie. Maddie go bring the car closer. I've got cables in the trunk."
Maddie waved her hand in front of her nose and hustled back to Rachel's car. Rachel crossed her arms and looked to Petey and Wendy.
"Thank you so much! I was wondering what I was going to do. I can't believe it but I forgot to pack spare diapers. See my husband is..."
"Yeah my brother is the same. His wife put him back in diapers full time a few months ago. I was telling Maddie I just started to babysit him."
Wendy nodded and looked back at her hubby Petey, now with his back to them, pretending to look at the grass and occasionally touching the seat of his droopy diaper. She couldn't help but smile.
"Ah the first few months of diapers can be tough. It gets easier, though there are still hiccups, like leaving the house without diapers!"
"Don't beat yourself up. It seems like a lot, My sister-i-law definitely had her hands full. Still I'm glad she did, someone should've put him back in diapers years ago." Both women laughed at that.
Maddie pulled the car next to Wendy's and the women went about attaching the jumper cables. Wendy was whispering into Petey's ear and rubbing his back when she heard Rachel cry out. "I've got one! I wasn't sure but one left!" Wendy looked up to see Rachel holding a large diaper in one hand.
"Oh my god, it's a miracle!" Wendy. She turned to her husband. "Petey baby this nice lady who's helping us also has a diaper. Say thank you baby."
"Fank you," her poor stinky husband looked down and the dirt.
Wendy quickly ushered Petey onto his back in the back seat. Wordlessly Rachel handed Wendy the diaper and got in the front seat while Maddie started Rachel's car.
Wendy opened up Petey's diaper and quickly got to work, grateful that she'd at least packed wipes. "God I can smell it from over here! Is your brother this bad?" She heard Maddie from the other car over the sound of the engine.
Wendy didn't pay her any mind, and luckily Petey was distracted again by his stuffy while she cleaned him up. She started to laugh, the day had felt like whiplash. Now here she was, cleaning up an extra dirty diaper, happier than she'd been all morning.
"Wuz funny mommy?" Petey looked down at her. "Oh nothing baby, mommy's just happy getting you all nice and clean!" She taped up the diaper and balled up his used one. "Be a big bou and help mommy throw your icky diapie away ok baby?"
Petey walked toward the nearest trash can and Wendy turned to the young women. "I'm sure it wasn't what you were expecting today but that you both so much!"
Rachel had out her phone, "Yeah, here's my number by the way, I should put you in touch with my sister-in-law, you can swap tips and have... playdates I guess."
Wendy put Rachel's number in her phone. "Plus she's an adult baby sitter now so if you want a break just call her!" Maddie smiled and Rachel rolled her eyes.
Petey walked back all smiles. Wendy thanks them again, buckled him in and got back in the front seat.
"Ok baby, let's go home and get you that lunch now!"
"Can we come back afta dat?"
Wendy laughed as she backed out of the spot. Maybe tomorrow, she thought, but I'm putting a pack of diapers in the trunk before we go anywhere else.
