I lay in bed biding my time. It was already noon, I knew I had to get up soon, I did have christmas shopping to do.

“Paigey wake up!” I heard my dad call from the kitchen.

He still insists on using that name for me, I don’t know why. Paige sounds so much better, but he doesn’t think so, I guess my birth certificate doesn’t matter.

“Comingggg,” I said sleepily.

I pushed down my purple blanket and streched. My nightgown was riding up, and I could see my soaked Depends underneath it. I sat up and got out of bed, my nightgown falling down to my knees. A shiver ran through my body as I walked across my floor. After I was off the throw-rug I was done for. The tile got so cold, especially in the winter.
It wasn’t that bad, it wasn’t hard to keep our one-story, two bedroom home heated, it was fairly new with great insulation (so I hear my dad say) but it was still cold in the morning. I walked into the kitchen to see a McDonald’s bag on our round dining table, my dad was sitting eating an Egg McMuffin, reading the paper and drinking his coffee.

“Morning sunshine!” He said warmly, greeting me with a big smile.

“Mornin’ dad,” I replied, followed by a yawn.

“Breakfast is in the bag, do you want coffee or juice this morning?” He asked me.

“Coffee please,” I said as I sat down.

“Coming right up.”

I opened the bag to find an Egg McMuffin and a hashbrown. I loved McDonald’s breakfasts, they were to die for. I’m not too crazy for the burgers or fries, but breakfasts were awesome.

“Y’know,” he said while putting my coffee in front of me, “you always look the prettiest in the morning.”

“You tell me that alllll the time, and it’s not true!” I said back to him, I thought I look horrible in the morning.

“But your natural, and your beautiful like that, I don’t see why you need all that hair junk and straighteners and makeup an whatever else you use.”

I looked at the fridge and could see my reflection. My red hair was in complete ringlets, my big green eyes looked tired, yet as huge as saucers and you could actually see the few freckles that called my nose home. Now, when I have my shower, and get ready to leave the house, my shoulder legnth curls will be gone, and replaced with straight hair, a few inches longer, you won’t see my freckles, my eyes will have on at least -some- eye liner and I won’t look so… little kiddish.

“Dad, when we get to Walmart, you can wait in the car.” I said, although I wasn’t sure if everything was heard, as it was muffled by the egg in my mouth.

“I don’t know Paigey, it’s a little busy…” He started, with a concerned look on his face.

“Dad! I am 16! I have to get your present too, and your NOT going to see what it is!” I said, raising my voice a little in annoyance.

“Honey, you never know who could be in there, kidnappers, rapists, whatever, and age doesn’t matter to them. Look, I won’t hold your hand or anything, I just want to make sure your safe.”

I snorted at him and took a sip of my coffee, and went back to eating my breakfast. I just took the last bite of my hashbrown when I heard “so were you wet again?”

“Do you have to ask that -every- morning?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Fine, I am, happy now? I’m 16, and I am wearing a wet diaper.” I said shortly, like I do every morning, hoping he will get off my case about my problem.

“Oh stop with the drama.” He said. “I have to talk to you about something.”

“Okay…” I sipped my coffee while looking at him.

“I think you should wear a diaper shopping today,” he said, getting right to the point.

“What?! NO!” I said, a bit too loudly.

“Sweetheart, do you remember last year?” He said, referring to the previous year’s christmas shopping trip.

“So what? I had a little accident on the way home, but that was last year, not this year.”

“Well we also went a week before christmas, and not the day before. The lines are going to be ten times worse, and you know you can’t hold it that long.”

“So I won’t drink anything!”

“You just did.” He said, and he did have a point there.

“Well I’m not wearing a diaper in public, it’s bad enough I have to wear them at home, and on road trips, and planes, and wherever else! But I am NOT wearing one to Walmart.” I said, standing my ground.

“Fine, we won’t go then, might as well go back to bed.”

“UGH! I will wear it! But I HATE you!” I said, stomping out of the kitchen and down the hall to my room.

“I love you too honey!” He said back.

When I got to my room I took off my nightgown and diaper, rolling it up into a ball and throwing it in my trash can. I grabbed my towel and went to the bathroom to have a shower and get ready.

“All ready?” Dad asked me as I came downstairs.

“Yeah, let’s go,” I said.

“Do you have your money?” He asked, fixing the collar on my pink polo.

“Right here!” I said, patting the pocket of my baggy jeans.

“And… do you have your…” he started.

“Yes dad, can we please go?” I asked.

“Okay okay, go get in the car,” he said.