A few hours later it was time to pack up and start heading back. Julia ended up wetting herself again while they were packing up and she noticed her diaper started to feel bulky. About half way back to the car, she watched her dad pull off the trail and start peeing on a tree. Her mom shook her head, and Julia followed suit. But her brain caught onto the idea and she ended up wetting herself again, which made her diaper just plain uncomfortable. She eventually started walking funny, and her mom picked up on it.

“Julia, I do believe you are waddling a bit there.”

Eventually they made it back to the car. The parking lot had a few less cars than it had when they had arrived, but it wasn’t empty by any stretch either.

“Julia come here, let me see just how bad your diaper is.” Shirley said when they reached the car.

“Right here?”

Shirley looked around. “I don’t see anybody honey, just take your pants down quick.”

Julia looked around herself just to be sure. She didn’t see anybody either, so she went ahead and unbuttoned her pants and slid them down just a bit.
Shirley apparently wasn’t happy with the amount of diaper that was exposed. “Julia stop being silly, there isn’t anybody here.” And with that she grasped Julia’s pants with both of her hands and firmly pulled. The pants jumped down to Julia’s thighs, fully exposing the diaper she had on underneath. She touched the diaper in a few places. “Wow, you are really soaked aren’t you?”

With her pants down and diaper out for anybody to see, Julia had given up on being modest, so took a look herself. Her mom was right, the diaper was soaked, but she kind of knew that without looking. She looked at her mom and nodded in agreement.

Shirley crossed her arms. “Well, I don’t think that is going to hold up all the way home.”

Julia looked at her mom not exactly understanding what she meant. “What do you mean?”

“I mean it’s a long ride home and if you have another accident, it’s going to leak. Frankly, it would probably leak as soon as you sat down. Remember last weekend when you father forgot to change you?”

Julia had kind of forgotten about it, but she did remember now. Her dad had forgotten to change her and her pants ended up wet as a result.

“Well, we’re not going to let that happen again.” Shirley started looking around. “Well, my first thought would be to put the blanket down, but it’s all dirt…”

Ted chimed in, “Just use the back of the car honey. We used to do that all the time.”

“Oh, good idea, I forgot about that.”

Shirley went to the back of the car and opened up the hatch. There was an area in the back behind the seats that was flat. She started moving a few things around to make some room. Julia watched her mom take the diaper bag out and set it on top of the car and realized where this was going.

Julia spoke up. “Wait, mom. You can’t just change me in the back of the car. People could see.”

Shirley kept rearranging things in the back of the car. After another moment she came out and looked at Julia. She must not have liked the look on Julia’s face, because she began shaking her head.

“Julia, this isn’t up for debate.” Shirley said, kindly but firmly. “I’m not letting you into this car in that.” She pointed to Julia’s still exposed diaper. “I’m not having your diaper leak on my car’s seats. And you aren’t getting in here without a diaper on either, so let’s get this over with. This is why I brought the diaper bag.”

“But what if somebody…” Julia started to plead.

Shirley wasn’t having any of it. “Julia I really don’t understand what the problem is. First of all, nobody is going to see. I mean, even if somebody did show up you can’t see into the back of the car unless you are standing right behind it. Your dad will keep an eye out. But more importantly, this is just part of the cost of doing business.”

Julia remembered her dad saying that earlier when he had to change her. “What? What does that even mean?”

Ted jumped in. “The cost of doing business. It’s a way of saying there are just certain unavoidable costs to certain things. You run a restaurant and you have to pay for a stove and a fridge. You run a vet clinic and you have to buy for medicines for the cats and dogs. You run a car wash and you have to buy soap.”

Shirley picked up when Ted paused. “You wear diapers, you are going to have to have your diapers changed. And it’s not always going to be on the changing table at home. Look honey,” Shirley began in her semi apologetic voice, “I’m not going to be tied to the house just because I have a kid who wears diapers. I didn’t do that when you were a baby, and I’m not going to do it now. This family has been going on hikes since before you were born, and we’re not going to stop now just because you’re in diapers again. I’m sorry, but that diaper is soaked and you need to be changed right now.”

Julia heard what her mom was saying, but was still not happy about the thought of having her diaper changed in the back of the car where it was possible somebody could see it. She looked at her dad for support, but he just smiled and shook his head.

“Cost of doing business hon. And trust me, I know how likely you are to get your mom to change her mind.”

Julia rolled her eyes and said mockingly to her dad, “Oh, I see how it is, I’m out numbered.”

Ted laughed.

Julia did know her dad was right. The odds of getting her mom to change her mind once it was made up was around the same chances of winning the lottery. Julia took a deep breath and exhaled defeatedly.

“OK, fine whatever. Let’s just get this over with. Dad, you better seriously keep a look out. I swear if you see anybody coming you better say something.”

Julia didn’t bother pulling her pants up. Instead she just took them off along with her shoes after walking to the back of the car. She saw her mom had spread out the picnic blanket in the back. She tried to get in as far as she could, but it wasn’t a huge space. Her bare legs hung over the back bumper.

Shirley grabbed the diaper bag from the roof and set it down next to her. She grabbed a diaper and some wipes. Julia was glad her mom was doing this and not her dad, since her mom was much faster. Shirley had just gotten a clean diaper under Julia when Ted spoke up.

“Better hurry up, I see a bunch of people coming.”

Julia bolted up without thinking about it and nearly hit her mom. Shirley jumped back to avoid being hit. Julia looked at the trail and didn’t see anything. She looked at her dad and saw him stifling a laugh. Julia shot him the dirtiest look she could muster.

“Sorry,” Ted started, still giggling, “I couldn’t resist.”

Julia lay back down and her mom pulled the diaper between her legs and taped it in place. She then helped Julia get her pants back on. Julia then hopped out of the car and Ted put the rest of their stuff back in. Soon enough they were on their way home. Julia spent a good part of the ride trying to come up with a way to get back at her dad.