✅ My Sister's Problem

57. Loose Ends

I grabbed a parcel from the mailbox as I passed; somebody must have forgotten to check earlier. Then I kicked off against the box and drifted up the drive, wondering how far my momentum would carry me. It turned out that I had judged it exactly right today, coming to a halt right in front of the door without having to move a muscle. That had to be a good omen for all the things that were starting today. My new attempt at adulthood; the new school year that would be starting soon, and whatever else was changing today.

"Parcel for you, Mum," I called out as I stepped out of my boots, and glanced at the branding printed around the package. "Says... Kidicate. You ordered something?" I wouldn't normally be nosy, but the border around the edge of the box got my attention. A series of little curves, abstract forms that might be taken as simple pictures of sleeping babies. I didn't see why she would be buying anything child-themed right now; and I figured I'd have to tell her clearly that I was going to stop being treated like a kid now, except for maybe an occasional break. I hoped she wouldn't be too disappointed; that was something I hadn't even thought about.

"Oh, thank you dear. Yes, I got a coupon and it seemed worth the price. Probably just junk, you know the outrageous claims that ads are full of these days, but when the price is so low..."

"Yeah," I nodded, and smiled. Probably some kind of cosmetics then. Skin softening cream, or yet another magic balm. Wouldn't live up to its claims, but the offer made it cheaper than any other moisturiser or whatever. That seemed natural; and the weird name didn't sound that out there compared to some of the other brands I'd seen.

"Anyway, does the little baby need a diaper change? Let me check you."

A smirk from Lindy in the next room told me that she was listening too. I started to blush, the embarrassment over my sister's response fighting against how little and childish I would feel. Mum stood up and moved towards me, and it was only when I shifted position slightly and felt the swollen bulk between my legs, and remembered that my diaper was wet now. If Mum found that, she would think that I had a real problem, and I might have to keep on wearing them even after I'd decided it was better to stop. Or she'd think I did it deliberately, and I couldn't stand anybody thinking that. I wasn't that kind of degenerate... except that today, to mark the special occasion of wearing my last diaper, it was true.

"No thanks!" I said. "You said the punishment ends when I get home today, right? So I can change myself. I mean... I can take the diaper off, and I don't need to wear one anymore. I'm a big girl now, Mum."

"Awww, she had an accident!" Lindy's laughter drifted through the doorway. How could she possibly know?

"Linda!" Mum growled, but there wasn't any real assertiveness in the objection. I knew that I wasn't going to get out of this so easily. I'd thought that her punishment was over; but I still had a few more minutes. And now I might have extended it, just when I had decided that my curiosity was satisfied. For a second I wondered if I was going to cry. But instead I turned away and ran up the stairs to my room. It might have been a clean escape, except for Mum right behind me,

"I'm sorry about your sister, dear," she said. "She's upset today. Somebody told her that there's a tradition when you start a new school that it's good luck if the boyfriends and girlfriends walk through the gate together on the first day."

"That sounds like a reasonable superstition, but I never heard of it."

"No, most of the other parents haven't either. But it seems Lindy asked somebody if they might... you know. And the response wasn't what she hoped. So now she's angry and lashing out at easy targets."

"Niall?" I guessed, trying not to be offended by the implication that I was easy to pick on. I guess being in diapers wouldn't have helped with that.

"She didn't say. She just said she wanted to do that because it would help her to be less nervous, then she made a phone call, and she's been grumpy ever since. I don't want to blame her. But in any case, I believe I asked if you need Mummy to change your diaper."