Megan decided to warn Stephen to watch his step. If she were being discussed in the manner in which their parents discussed him, she would have wanted to be warned before it was too late. Much to her consternation, he outright refused to believe her.
“Yeah, right,” he scoffed. “Mom and Dad would never do that.”
“You’ve gotta admit,” she said. “You’ve been pretty bad lately, Steve.”
He shrugged. “I’m bored.”
“Well…try to tone it down lately. Otherwise, I’ll be saying “I told you so” all summer long.”
He sighed. “Fine.”
The morning of July 4th found Megan slumbering sanguinely, oblivious to the cloudless blue skies and pulsating warmth of the sun that lay just outside her window. Having decided to give her pacifier a rest for the sake of her teeth, she lay on her side with her thumb in her mouth. Her knees were drawn towards her ample chest in a near-fetal position. She lay uncovered with her bountiful diapers on full display. Her concerns were lost, and her comfort found, in the simplicity of sleep.
A room away, Carrie slept as well. She lay on her stomach clutching her pillow, clinging to it as a drowning man might cling to a buoy. Her diaper was smaller and thinner than Megan’s. She did not wet in her sleep, nor would merely wearing diapers cause her to. Megan envied her that from time to time, but could wish no harm upon her sister. She finally seemed happy…. at least until she discovered the Next Big Thing. Stephen slept too, his dreams consumed with spawning superpowers and saving the world and having bosomy damsels in distress kiss him as his reward.
Drew and Nancy were wide awake, enjoying a passionate kiss while their progeny slumbered on.
“I’d better get the kids up,” Nancy said.
“What’s the rush?” Drew asked, touching her breast.
She smiled demurely and ran her fingers through his hair. “There will be plenty of time for that later.”
Megan was tended to first. Nancy stood over her and said her name and watched as she stirred.
“Come on. Time to get up.”
“No,” Megan said defiantly, turning away from her mother.
Nancy gave her exposed thigh a gentle slap and began to tickle her sides. Megan woke up in an instant.
“Sheesh. Mom!”
“I go with what works,” Nancy told her, smiling knowingly. Megan hopped in the shower and reported back to her mother for diapering.
“Grandma and Grandpa will be here at four,” Nancy reminded her. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like you to make a fruit salad.”
“Sure,” Megan answered. “I’ll go get Carrie up.”
“Actually, I’ll handle that.”
Megan seemed a bit surprised. Things had improved between Carrie and their mother, but that was at least in part because they kept their respective distance. Who knew what could happen if that distance was broken?
“OK,” she said doubtfully. “She’s a deep sleeper though. Just whatever you do, don’t try using the stereo.”
Nancy went to wake Carrie while Megan dressed. ‘Deep sleeper’ might have been an understatement. After saying her name three times, the girl gave not a hint of reply. Nancy finally reached in and tapped her shoulder, half-suspecting that she would spring to life with sudden ferociousness and scream.
Instead, Carrie’s eyes slowly flickered open. “Mom?”
“Time to get up.”
“What…” Carrie began and Nancy suspected she would conclude with “are you doing here?” Instead, she said, “What time is it?”
Nancy told her and Carrie nodded. She knew she had slept late enough. She then waited a moment, expecting her other to leave.
“Megan is a little preoccupied at the moment,” Nancy explained, sounding slightly hesitant. “Why don’t you let me take care of your diapers today?”
Carrie shrugged. She was perplexed but not the least bit angry. “Umm…sure.”
Thus, Nancy began to diaper her youngest daughter and it was almost as if they had never thought. The realm of memory knew different, but the realm of the present told a brilliant lie.
“I was wondering,” Carrie said, ever the opportunist.
“Yes?” Nancy asked.
“Well…um……starting tomorrow, Chris isn’t grounded anymore. And, I…um…was kinda hoping we could see each other again. But…er…like…. normally this time. Like starting over….almost. If that’s OK with you.”
Nancy smiled warmly. There was a definite change. A few weeks ago, Carrie would have just gone ahead with whatever was on her mind and protested when and if Nancy voiced her disapproval. This time, she consulted beforehand.
“I’m glad that you bothered to ask.”
“So can I?”
“We’ll see,” Nancy said encouragingly. “We’ll see.”
