They carried the mattress out to the backyard and laid it in a sunny spot on the grass.

Rose followed Theodore into the house when the job was done and said,

“Thank you for your help, Theodore.

I’d like to have a talk with you in the kitchen for a minute.”

Theodore followed her into the kitchen and sat on one of the chairs in the breakfast nook as Rose got a glass of iced tea from the refrigerator.

“Would you like something to drink, Theodore?

Some iced tea?

A soda, maybe?”, she said as she put her glass down on the table.

Theodore shook his head

‘no’,

the last thing he wanted right now was something to remind him of what he had done.

She sat down across the table from him and said,

“Theodore, are you feeling okay?

Did you feel bad last night before you went to sleep?”

Theodore shook his head ‘no’ uncomfortably.

She smiled and said,

“Theodore, I’m not mad at you for what happened.

I know it’s not your fault.

But you can see how much trouble it is to clean the mattress after an accident.

The longer the pee stays on the mattress, the more it will stain.

I think we caught it in time this morning, but if it happens in the future, I want you to tell me immediately.

Do you understand?”

Theodore nodded his understanding and she smiled back in return.