When the Past Becomes the Future

Time to Talk

"You've gotta be kidding me." Juliette said out loud to herself in the ladies room of the go-karting place. Brian and Levi were currently going around the track for the 4th time in the hour they had been there while she looked after Jace. She felt his diaper starting to get wet while he was sitting on her lap so she slipped away to change him. What she saw when she pulled the little boy's diaper back was the worst rash she had ever seen on a child. "Oh my god, Buddy you okay?" Juliette asked using a baby wipe to try and soothe his skin.

When Levi was a baby, he would get rashes sometimes, most kids do. They are sitting in their own pee, it's gonna happen. However this was an extreme case, one that Juliette could guess was due to lazy parenting. Another mother walked in behind her, waiting for the changing table. "Excuse me." Juliette asked turning around, "I'm watching my friend's son, would you happen to have any diaper cream or Vaseline in there?" She asked nodding to the diaper bag.

"Oh yeah!" The young mom smiled, "I have rash cream, lotion, Vaseline...you name it." She said picking up the bag and placing it on the sink to go through.

Juliette smiled at the woman's generosity. Years ago when Levi was a baby, Juliette was just like this mom, completely prepared and stocked with 30 different products in a giant baby bag. Not a mom that dropped her kid off with a couple diapers in a shopping bag. "The rash cream would be great, thanks so much!" She replied squeezing a generous glob on this poor baby's bottom.

As she redid his pants back up, Jace seemed much more content and soothed by the dryness of his clean diaper. She picked him up placing him on the sink counter while she washed her hands. It had been years since she took care of a baby, she missed it. Jace smiled up at her reaching to be picked up again. She had to admit, he was awfully cute and very well behaved.

She walked out with Jace securely on her hip and saw Brian and Levi hopping out of the kart. "Mom!" Levi yelled across the track, "You missed it! Dad let me drive this time!"

She looked questionably at Brian, surely Levi wasn't serious. Brian knew that look, the overprotective mama bear, and knew he had to explain before Jules went into a full blown anxiety attack. "I just let him steer, save the lecture Jules." He said putting his hand up before she opened her mouth.

She quickly shut her mouth, happy that Levi wasn't actually driving a speeding go-Kart. She then handed Jace back to Brian, "I just gave him a fresh diaper."

"Thanks." Brian smiled.

"Do you know he has an awful rash. Like really bad, looks pretty painful." She said.

"Really?" Brian asked, his eyebrows shooting up with alarm.

"Haven't you noticed?" She questioned. This wasn't the type of rash that happened overnight.

"Honestly...no. I've never changed his diaper before." Brian said feeling a little stupid as he said it.

"Never?!" Juliette replied.

"I've never had him more than like an hour and never by myself. Tina's always there." He answered.

Juliette's stomach dropped a bit at just the sound of her name but ignored it as best she could. "When you found out about Levi, I couldn't stop you from taking him all the time."

Brian sighed deeply then noticed two little people still close-by. "Hey buddy, you wanna take Jace over there?" He asked pointing to a little kid area with riding toys and a small slide.

"Ok!" Levi exclaimed picking up the smaller child and leading him over to the play area.

Once they were a safe distance away, Brian turned to Juliette. "Can I be honest?" He asked sitting down at a table.