“Don’t even think about it. I’ll try.” He got quiet after that and I saw a look of relief on his face and heard a soft hiss coming from down by his waist.

“Feel better?” I asked after about half a minute?

“Much. I just need to get out of this before I get a diaper rash.”

“You’ve got some time before that becomes an issue.”

A couple minutes later things started to move a bit, so I started up the car and turned the A/C back on. Then we moved forward about 50 yards and then another 50 and so on, we inched forward until after another half hour we got to the entrance for the rest area. We pulled into the parking lot of the rest area which was as full as any I’d ever seen. I guess everyone needed to get off the highway for a little while.

We ended up parking at the spot in the lot furthest from the main building. This was one of the deluxe rest areas you see on some major highways. It had a gas station, a picnic area, a playground with swings and slides and the like, and a main building that had a food court, bathrooms, and a gift shop.

“Well, let’s get you changed. Maybe we can get a snack while we’re here, too.”

“Okay. Please hurry, this is feeling icky,” Kevin said as he undid his seat belt.

I got out of the car, went around to the trunk and got out Kevin’s wheel chair. I positioned it next to the passenger door and slid my right arm under Kevin’s knees and he put his arm over my shoulder. I lowered him into the chair and began buckling him in. I grabbed the diaper bag and my iphone, locked the door and headed across the lot to the main building.

The main building was crowded and noisy, but the air conditioning made it feel like heaven. I looked around and found the family rest room. I rolled Kevin over and we waited our turn on line. A lady with an infant in a baby carrier stood closest to the door, next to her was a young dad with a little girl of about 6 or 7, then came Kevin and me and after us was another lady who I’d guess was about thirty. She had a little girl of about 9 by the hand and a little boy of about 2 in a stroller. When they joined the line I nodded “hello” to them and gave the toddler a big smile and waved. He waved back and smiled at me from behind his pacifier.

“Hi.” the lady said.

“Hi.” I said back. I think she took this as an invitation to a conversation so she launched in.

“Have you ever seen traffic like that before? It was absolutely awful. I thought it was bad back home, but I’ve never seen anything like this. Nicole here nearly wet herself and Johnny is definitely going to need a change.”

“Mommmm!” the little girl whined, “Don’t say things like that. You are soooo embarrassing.”

I smiled and gave a little chuckle.