Shirley had Julia’s wet diaper off now and cleaned her up with a few wipes. She slid the new diaper under Julia and started taping it in place.
“So you’re OK with wearing diapers?” Shirley asked.
“Yea it’s fine, I don’t mind. I mean, I never really thought about wearing them forever or anything but I wasn’t looking forward to having to stop.”
“OK, good that’s what I thought. Because honestly honey, at this point, I would not be comfortable without you wearing a diaper. I mean, if you had said you wanted to stop wearing diapers right now, I was going to just flat out say no. I’m convinced you would have an accident. I don’t mind changing a diaper and cleaning you up, but dealing with wet beds and accidents on carpets and couches is a whole different matter.”
“Better safe than sorry I guess.”
“You got that right. Now, if at some point you change you mind and want to stop wearing diapers, we can talk about potty training. But like I said potty training you the first time was a real challenge. And having just gotten used to you being back in diapers, it’s not something I am really interested in starting right now. I am not saying we can’t try at some point, but with everything else that is going on right now, I just don’t have the time or the energy to work on it. So I am really glad you are OK staying in diapers, because you can count on having to wear them for a while.”
“Yea, one of the girls in the D club had said that re-potty training was actually really hard. So, yea, I’m fine if we just stick with diapers, I don’t mind at all honestly. Actually I kind of like it.”
“Yea, I kind of sensed that. And well, frankly it’s a good thing you feel that way.”
Shirley’s work was done and Julia hopped off the changing table.
“So, we’re OK here right? No more pretending?” Shirley asked.
“Yea, I mean I’m still getting used to the idea. But I think you’re right mom. I never really thought about it, but now I think it would be really scary to not wear a diaper. I mean, I’m kind of freaked out just thinking about it. I do not want to have an accident at school. That would be horrible.”
“Well, you’re going to be diapered all the time, so no need to worry about that part at least. But I do want you to get used to the fact that wearing diapers isn’t something you are trying out or anything. You’re in diapers now because you need to be. I mean, not wearing a diaper is no longer an option here, and I just don’t see that changing anytime soon.” Shirley paused and looked her daughter directly in the eye to make sure the message was getting though. “The Trying Policy is over now Julia. Wearing diapers is reality for you now, OK?”
Julia didn’t hesitate with her response. “That’s fine mom, really. I don’t mind at all. In fact, I think I actually prefer it this way.”
“That’s what I thought.” Shirley said as she turned around and walked out of Julia’s room.
That night, when Julia went to bed, it seemed as if her entire ceiling was aglow from all the stars.
Julia quickly accepted that she was in diapers for the long haul. By the end of her freshman year there was no doubt whatsoever about her need to be in diapers… she wasn’t even able to hold it if she tried anymore. It made a lot of things easier and she was able to be honest with everyone, although she never told anyone but Fiona about the Trying Policy and how everything really got started.
A few weeks after her big talk with her mom she told a few of her other friends that she had to wear diapers and everyone was cool about it. Julia did tell Fiona about the conversation she had with her mom and how she wasn’t pretending anymore and was now wearing diaper because she had to. Once Fiona understood that Julia wasn’t really upset about needing to wear diapers she just shrugged and said that just made things easier on everyone since there was no longer anything to hide.
On Kate’s advice Julia asked a guy from the D club to the Winter Ball. His name was Erik and he was a year ahead of Julia. He said yes and they just went as friends. They never dated but over the next few years became close friends and went to a number of dances together. Since they were both in diapers, it made things a bit easier.
Julia also became friends with a few other folks from D Club and she continued attending the lunches. Jenna, one of the other ‘newbies’ during her first D club lunch became a good friend. During her Junior year, Julia did step up and became a leader of the D Club. That year she invited her first newbie, a freshman girl, in the same way Kate had done a year before. She and Erik took over the “WE NEVER TALK ABOUT D CLUB’ ruse.
Julia took Kate up on her offer to learn some volleyball skills. She talked Fiona into it too. They both tried out for the team and became a part of the freshmen squad. Fiona became a really good volleyball player and she made the varsity squad as a sophomore and was a starter as a Junior. Julia played as well throughout high school but never started. The highlight of their high school career came in their senior year when they made it to the conference semi-finals for only the 3rd time in school history.
Sam occasionally had lunch with Julia’s group of friends. They had mostly all known her in middle school and not a single one of them had any idea she was even attending their school, let alone that she had changed so much. Julia never told anyone other than Fiona about how she and Sam had met up again.
Shirley quickly got used to having a kid in diapers again. She soon found a better place to buy diapers and got a few new brands that Julia liked better and were less prone to leaking. Shirley was excited to see that some of the diapers she could get actually looked cute, and Julia didn’t mind either. They both agreed that the diaper with little white teddy bears and bunnies with moons, butterflies, cherries and windmills was by far the best. Shirley did wonder if it was ever going to happen and she didn’t complain when Julia asked if she could start changing herself after she turned 17. Even after that, Shirley still usually changed Julia before bedtime, it had become too much of a tradition.
Ted did get better about changing diapers eventually but he also managed to avoid it most of the time. He was far more relieved than Shirley when Julia started changing herself most of the time. He had to replace the entire sprinkler system after he forgot to drain the pipes one winter and a deep freeze burst the line next to the Dinmore’s house.
Mrs Hayman got really into watching cooking shows and finally tried out for a guest spot on one. She wasn’t selected but she did get inspired by the whole ordeal enough to enroll in a cooking school nearby. Dinners at the Hayman’s house just got better and better.
Mrs Bernard continued on as the school nurse for the rest of the time Julia was in High School. She and Julia developed a good friendship and Mrs Bernard was very supportive of Julia taking a more active role in the D Club. Julia never told her she knew how she got her job.
Kate took advantage of the scholarship offer and became a successful D-1 player. She graduated with a degree in Biology and became a high school teacher and volleyball coach. Julia lost touch with her shortly after she left for college, but never forgot her.
