An Unbreakable Bond

The Revelation

Amber and Kristen froze in their steps as they saw what they had suspected for years. There Rebecca stood in nothing but the top piece of her pajama set, her back to the door, pulling up a cute little pink and purple garment. They had caught glimpses of the waistband a few times, even noticed a subtle bulkiness under her pajama pants, but now there was no denying what it was. It was a Goodnites diaper. The two friends looked at each other, then back at Rebecca, unsure how to approach the situation. They had always hoped she would open up to them about this, so they could let her know that it didn't bother her, but they had not prepared for this moment.

As Rebecca turned around to grab her pajama bottoms, she saw her friends standing there watching her. Panicked, she tried her best to cover up, but she knew that it was too late. They had seen everything. Tears began to run down her cheeks as she stammered, "Oh my god... I'm sorry, I... I forgot to... Please, it's not..."

Amber and Kristen exchanged another knowing glance. "It's okay, Becca," Amber said, giving her best reassuring smile. "We know." Kristen nodded in agreement. "We've known for a while that you, you know..." she said, gesturing vaguely to Rebecca's Goodnites. "We never wanted to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, so we never brought it up."

Rebecca's eyes widened in surprise. "You knew?" she asked, feeling a mixture of relief and embarrassment. "I thought I was being so careful!"

Amber laughed softly. "Oh, believe me, you were being careful, but we're your best friends. We notice everything about you... and we wouldn't have it any other way." She stepped forward and gave Rebecca a warm hug. "It's okay, we're here for you, just like we always have been. And we want you to know that you can be open with us about it, if you want to be."

Kristen nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Becca. You don't have to hide it from us. We've known you for so long, and we still love you just the same. We'll always be your friends, no matter what."

Rebecca swallowed hard, feeling a lump forming in her throat. "Thanks, guys," she managed to say between sniffles. "I just... I've had this problem my whole life, I've tried everything but nothing worked. I've gone to so many doctors and psychiatrists and therapists, but all I ever got was 'You'll grow out of it.' I'm tired of hearing it! I'm eighteen, I'm supposed to be an adult, I'm about to go to college, and I still need to wear..."

Amber considered finish her sentence, to try and break the stigma, but didn't know which word to use. The last thing she wanted in this moment was to make her friend feel even worse about herself.

"...pull-ups." Rebecca finished, admitting defeat. That was the word she and her mother had settled on years ago. Her mother never referred to the Goodnites by any type of code name, because she thought that would make it harder for her to accept them. 'Pull-ups' was less embarrassing than 'diapers,' but still honest. "That's what they are, pull-ups, Rebecca continued. "Just like toddlers wear when they're potty training."

Kristen reached out and put a hand on Rebecca's shoulder. "Oh Becca," she started, trying to figure out what to say next. She had always wished she could be as good with words as Amber, who always seemed to know just what to say.

Rebecca took a deep breath, trying to get her crying under control. "I'm sorry I tried to hide it from you guys. I just... I was scared you'd just think I was weird or gross, and you wouldn't want to be friends anymore. "

Kristen stepped forward and took Rebecca's hand. "Becca, you're not weird or gross," she said firmly. "You're amazing, and you're our best friend. We love you no matter what."

Amber nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and honestly, I think it's pretty amazing that you've been dealing with this on your own. I know it can be really hard to open up sometimes... And since we're opening up, I actually have something I've been keeping to myself..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I, um... I've been struggling a lot with my weight lately. I've been trying to lose a few pounds, but it's been really hard, and sometimes I just feel so gross and ugly."