Jordan hadn’t seen Melissa for almost a month. In their get-togethers after the catastrophe at the Japanese restaurant, Ted had elected to keep his time with Melissa separate from his girls (or at least from Jordan). She was at Ted’s apartment when they walked in and both Jordan and she were cordial but chilly. The space itself was gorgeous. Located in Belltown in a brand new condominium unit on the 34th floor. A small hallway lined with closets and the first bathroom formed the entryway which opened into the main living space: a living room to the left and open kitchen on the far wall beyond it – then the master bedroom through French doors on the right. The wall adjacent to the entryway hall was made up of all windows – facing north, overlooking the Space Needle and Queen Anne Hill. It truly had a gorgeous view. The floors were dark hard wood and all the finishes were the best: stone countertops, hardwood cabinets, quality moldings and appliances. This was a top-notch (albeit cozy) space.
Ted might’ve expected a little more maturity from his friend but couldn’t have thought Jordan would’ve forgiven Melissa so quickly for her role in he and his wife’s separation. The dynamic between the two was honestly his greatest concern for the weekend and it would turn out to be quite uncomfortable for everyone. Clearly for Melissa, Ted’s kids were an inconvenience to be dealt with as quickly deftly as possible – rather than a joy to be embraced or a challenge to be tackled. She’d rather not have to worry (or think) about them at all if possible. When Ted had pulled her aside that evening to tell her about Jordan’s diapers, she was more flabbergasted than he had been.
“Melissa I think her mom has been putting those things on her every night and I can’t do that to my twelve-year-old daughter!! I just can’t go there…so if it comes to it…I’m gonna need you to talk to her and help her out…ok?”
“Ted what if I’m not ok with this either!?!”
“Listen!!” He said in a hushed voice opening his eyes wide as though he were ready to go to war, “You are asking me to divorce my wife!! You are asking me to leave my family!! You are asking me to do a lot!!! YOU WILL DO THIS!! GOT IT?!”
“Ok — I’ve got it.” Melissa said reluctantly.
Later that evening as Ted was preparing Jen’s pack-and-play in the living room and cajoling Mindi to get prepared for bed herself, Melissa made her way into the master bedroom to talk to Jordan (at Ted’s behest).
Wearing a trendy screen-printed t-shirt with tightly fitting jeans, she was about as far from carrying the ethos of ‘mother’ as possible. Standing in the doorway she announced, “So…um…Do you need help with your…thing…?”
Not even looking up from her suitcase, Jordan replied, “No.”
The release of responsibility was all Melissa needed. Turning, she found a place back on the couch, looking out over the city.
Jordan, on the other hand, wrapped one of the three purple diapers (she had brought an extra for the weekend just in case) in her pajamas and tiptoed through her dad’s closet and into the relatively modest master bathroom. Closing the white painted door and going through the motions now of removing her school skirt and pink panties, she lay herself down on the tile floor. It was cold.
Holding the soft plastic article in her hands, Jordan liked how it felt.
She began to unwrap it and leaned her head forward to see it’s every detail. Because mom had usually done this, many of them had gone unnoticed to her. She saw the pale purple color, the darker purple wetness stripes, the white tapes with ‘molicare’ in script with blue tapes underneath, bands of elastic around the edges of the diaper with these other elastic gathers inside pointing up toward the bottom of the wearer, and thick soft padding inside.
A knock rapped on the door. “Jordan? Are you in there?” It was the pre-teen’s Dad.
She scrambled for a towel to cover her exposed privates in case he just barged in. “I’m getting dressed Dad!!”
“Just checking to make sure you’re ok Hun.”
“I’m FINE dad.”
“Ok Hun.”
Jordan returned to her task. Removing the towel, she flung the diaper out in front of her and then reached around the outside of her legs and under her knees to grasp it once again. While lifting up her body, she scooted the diaper up under her rear-end.
This is harder without Mom, she thought.