It was a wet morning in more sense than one. A crack of thunder had roused Riddy from his sleep. A steady, but not torrential rain was soaking the street out front and left droplets on the window. Also wet was Riddy's Dryjam, but this was no big deal for the young fox. On the few mornings that he woke up with a dry pullup, it didn't stay dry for long. The Dryjam still had a fair amount of capacity left in it, certainly enough to accommodate another wetting, so the fox let loose with his usual morning pee. He felt the ``special underwear'' grow warm as another rumble of thunder rolled through. He sat there for a minute, as he had grown accustomed to the feeling of a wet pullup in the morning. When the moment was over, he slipped off the loose T-shirt and boxers that counted for PJs, and then his pullup. He cleaned himself up and put on this day clothes.
When Riddy came downstairs, his mom was doing her crossword puzzle; his dad was off at work and school was out for summer, so it was just the two of them at home right now. He greeted his mom with a brief hug and went to the kitchen for breakfast. Thunder continued to rumble as he poured a bowl of milk and cereal. Breakfast was accompanied by cartoons. This morning's episode of Wonderwolf wasn't his favorite. Lex Lynx's evil plot in this one just seemed rather dumb, using a ray that trapped people in TVs. As the episode went on, the thunder receded into the distance.
As the next show started and Riddy finished his breakfast, Riddy's mom came up to him.
``Honey, remember I said that we'd be going out today. I have to get a few things and get drop off some checks at the bank.''
``Okay, mom.''
``Get your bowl cleaned up and get your shoes on.'' She gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. The young fox got up to do just that,
A couple minutes later, Riddy and his mom were heading out to the car. By now, the storm had cleared and the trickle of water in the gutter glistened in the sunlight. It was turning into a perfect summer day. There was still some embarrassment though, as his mom helped strap him into his booster seat which, at eight years old, he felt he was big enough to do himself. They drove for a few minutes to a more commercial part of town. Traffic, though not too busy, was enough to slow them down a bit. Riddy sat in his booster seat, shuffling his footpaws around in boredom. It was a warm day, so his mom had given him a lemonade from the fridge to sip on. Finally, they pulled into the parking lot at the strip ball and parked in from of the bakery. Riddy was quick to unbuckle himself, both because he was eager to get out of the car, and because he felt like his mom doing it would cost him ``big kid points.''
``Why are we stopping here?'' he asked. ``Can't we just get bread at the market?''
``They make better bread here,'' his mom replied as she shouldered her purse, ``And Mr. Shepherd's an old friend.''
They walked into the bakery and a middle-aged collie with a moustache, dressed as a stereotypical baker greeted them. ``Hi Liz, Riddy. The usual?''
``Yes, and oh...'' She put a paw to her chin. ``The marble rye looks good. Throw in one of those, too.''
``You're in luck; it's a fresh batch. Still warm, even. So, how's Mark? I haven't seen him for a while.'' Mr. Shepherd bagged the two loaves of bread.
``Oh, you know. He's been busy. He still says he wants to work on being more patient.''
``Hmm, I know this isn't something you're into, but I might have something for that.'' He walked over to a small set of shelves on the counter, which had an assortment of rocks, crystals, and knick-knacks, and picked up a rock that was covered in rounded bumps of a pinkish translucent material. It came with a small card, which Mr. Shepherd handed to Riddy, seeing his look of curiosity. There were a few words on it which Riddy didn't recognize. He tried to sound out the name of the crystal.
``Pa-pan-panno - ''
``Pannolinite.'' Mr. Shepherd interjected. ``Good for patience, acceptance of oneself and others, and unlocking the inner self and hidden desires.'' Riddy read along as the collie recited the information on the card.
``Well, you know I'm not really a believer in that sort of thing,'' Riddy's mom said as she turned the stone over in her hands. But it's such a nice shade. It would look lovely between the two vases on the mantle. Plus, it can't hurt, can it?''
Mr. Shepherd rung up the bread and the stone, putting them all together in a large bag. Riddy's mom paid, they said their goodbyes, and were soon leaving for the car. Riddy was quick to buckle himself back into his booster seat, but any big kid points he got were lost when his mom rebuckled him to adjust the straps. As the car started to move, he noticed a slight sensation from his bladder, but there was no urgency, so he brushed it off.
About five minutes later they pulled into the parking lot outside the Bullseye supermarket.
``What are we getting here?'' Riddy asked.
``A bit of everything.'' She said, waving her phone, which had the shopping list on it. ``And you need a couple new pairs of pants.''
``Clothes?'' Riddy groaned.
``The less groaning the less time it will take.''
Riddy followed his mom into the store, draining the last bit of lemonade from the plastic bottle before throwing it in the trash can by the door. He was once again aware of the pressure in his bladder; it was stronger than before, but still not urgent. Perhaps downing the entire lemonade hadn't been the best idea. Their first stop was the clothes section where Mom picked through the boys' shorts, having to find the right size and tail fastener. After a few minutes, she picked out a few pairs and walked with her son over to the fitting rooms. Riddy noticed something a bit off about the pants.
``Why'd you get two of each?''
``I want to make sure we get the right size.''
``Don't you already know my size?''
``Well, these brands don't always run the same, and you're growing, too.'' She ruffled his head.
In the fitting room, he tried on one pair and found it a bit loose, so he tried on the other and it seemed to fit fine. He repeated this, sorting the bigger pants onto one hook and the ones the fit onto another.
``How's it going in there? Is there a color you like?''
``Um,'' he look over at the shorts on the hook. He did rather like the navy blue ones but didn't want to seem like he cared about the color that much. ``I guess the blue ones.'' He noticed the tag on the pants that fit. ``Wait, does size 7 mean 7 years old?''
``That's the average, yes.''
``But I'm eight!''
``That's okay, sweetie,'' Mom said gently. ``You're just a bit small for your age. Everyone grows differently. You'll be tall like Dad when you're grown up.''
``Okay,'' Riddy groaned a bit. This cost him a bit more in the big kid department. He put his old pants back on and carried the new chosen pair out.
``You ready?'' Mom asked.
``Yeah,'' Riddy replied in a bored tone.
She put the pants in the seat of the shopping cart, and they pushed on to the grocery section of the store. From there, the shopping just seemed to drag on. It wasn't the ``grab a few things'' sort of shopping. It was the dreaded weekly shopping. They got cereal, juice, milk, meat, toothpaste. It just went on. At one point, came a moment that brought Riddy a bit of embarassement; they turned down the baby aisle and Mom pulled two packages of DryJams off the shelf. Now, Riddy wasn't ashamed of wearing his DryJams; he actually rather liked them. But having them out on public display like that was definitely not something he wanted. What if one of his friends saw them? They'd think he was a baby! This worry was somewhat alleviated over the next few minutes as more groceries were piled on and around the DryJams. In that time, though, he noticed that his feet were getting tired and the pressure in his bladder was becoming bothersome.
``Mom are we almost done here?'' he whined.
``We still have a few more things to get,'' she said, not taking her eyes of the shopping list.
Riddy didn't want to admit he had to go. Having to ask for the bathroom too often seemed like such a ``little kid'' thing. He would be a big kid and hold it. Time passed and the pressure got stronger. At long last, they were heading to checkout. To Riddy's disappointment, though, there were lines in each aisle. Minutes more passed as the line in front of them moved slowly. Just as there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel, and Riddy's mom started to load the groceries onto the conveyor, the elderly wolf in front of them started writing a check. By this time, Riddy was squirming, and his mom noticed.
``Do you have to go?'' she asked.
``Yeah,'' he half whispered.
``Try to hold it until we're done. I want to be by the restroom door while you're in there. Think you can do that?''
Riddy stood up straight, sucked in his gut, and nodded. He was a big kid. He could do this. The wolf in front of them had moved on, so they could proceed with their own groceries. The pressure was getting to be too much, and those last few minutes felt like hours. Just as his mom was paying, the dam broke for Riddy. It started with a trickle and grew stronger. The warm pee soaked through his pants and underwear and began to form a puddle on the floor.
``Mom I - '' his voice cracked. Tears welled up in his eyes.
She turned and looked. ``Oh honey, I'm sorry this took so long.'' She hugged him, though a bit distantly so as not to get her own clothes wet. ``Let's get you over to the bathroom to get you cleaned up.''
They walked the short distance to the restrooms. Riddy kept between the shopping cart and the wall while doing his best to hide his pants with his tail. He glanced back and the checkout counter. The cashier looked at him sympathetically and a quick-working employee was already approaching with a mop and bucket. His ears lay flat as he sniffled and fought back tears, trying to hold on to what little big kid dignity he had left. After a very long walk of about 50 feet, the mother and son reached the bathroom door.
``Okay, here's the plan.'' Riddy's mom knelt next to him. ``Go in there, get yourself cleaned up, and then I want you to put on your new pants and a pullup.''
``A pullup!?''
``Shh, not so loud.''
``Please mom, I'm not a baby.''
``I know, honey. This isn't a punishment; it's just a precaution.''
``A precau- a what?''
``It's just in case.''
``I swear Mom, I won't have another accident.''
``I don't think you will, but they're called accidents for a reason, and I don't have another pair of pants for you. And besides, the new pants haven't been washed yet. They might be uncomfortable without some kind of underwear. Can you do this for me?''
Riddy nodded. His mom opened the package of DryJams with a claw and pulled one out, folding it inside the shorts before handing them to Riddy. The fox kit headed into the bathroom, still downtrodden by his accident, but slightly bolstered by the euphemism. If he just thought of the pullups as underwear, it would be okay. Sure, they were absorbent, but he didn't need to use them for that. In the bathroom, he dampened some paper towels and went to a stall where he took off his pants and patted the urine from his fur. Once he was clean, he slipped on the pullup and new shorts. After checking that nobody else was in the bathroom, he exited the stall and turned around in the mirror, giving his tail a wiggle as he looked at his backside. There was nothing peeking over his waistband and no bulge; nothing to show that there was anything unusual about his underwear. He balled up his damp underwear in the old shorts, taking care to hold the pants by the dry parts. He washed his paws, wiped the remnants of tears from his eyes, and headed back out to his mom.
Outside the bathroom, Riddy's mom had shifted the groceries so there would be an empty plastic bag, which she presented to him to drop in his wet pants. ``Come on, let's get these groceries in the car and we'll get lunch.''
Back in the parking lot, Riddy helped load the groceries into the car, taking care to place any cold food into the insulated bag. A short drive brought them to Mr. Burger, where Riddy had a Junior Burger, fries, and an ice cream to help cheer him up. He also got an ice water, as the sugar and salt were bound to make him thirsty. They ate inside for the comfort of the air conditioning and to avoid the interruption by yellowjackets. The tasty food, especially the ice cream, was enough to make Riddy forget about his troubles for a while.
With lunch complete, they were off to the next stop which, much to the young fox's chagrin, was the bank. The drive-through was closed, a tree having fallen across it during the morning storm, so they had to go inside. The closed drive-through combined with it being a Friday meant there was quite a long line. This wasn't something Riddy was happy about. Sure, this time there was no pressing need to use the bathroom, but no eight-year-old liked standing in line. With nothing to do but wait, he wished he had brought his GameCub with him. He swished his tail in frustration. This produced a slight rustling from his pullup, which he had forgotten he was wearing. Riddy looked around nervously to see if anyone had noticed the sound. Fortunately, nobody seemed to have noticed; everyone was absorbed in their own business. He checked to make sure nothing showed above his waistband; all was still good. Still, the bit of nervousness made him all the more anxious to get back home. Soon enough, they reached the teller and Riddy's mom was able to deposit her checks.
``Are we going home now?'' Riddy asked as they went out to the car. He was mostly bored and tired by this point, but he was starting to feel the need to pee again.
``Yes, sweetie.'' Riddy's mom said, opening the car doors. Seeing her son's fatigue, she helped buckle him into his booster seat.
Soon they were on the road home, but before long, they found traffic was slowing down until it was stop-and-go and all they could see ahead were taillights. By this time, there was once again a growing urge in Riddy's bladder. He had vaguely noticed it in the bank earlier but had been too focused on his frustration and fear of his DryJams being discovered. They inched along, only moving every minute or so. As Riddy's problem became more urgent, he felt he had to speak up:
``Mom, I have to use the bathroom.'' He squirmed a bit in his seat.
``Now?'' She looked in the review mirror.
``Yes.'' Riddy nodded with embarrassment.
``Well, I don't know how we'll be stuck here but try to hold it. You do have your pullup, so we're not in too bad a shape.''
``But mom, can't I go a bathroom somewhere?''
``These are all strangers' houses, and I don't want you getting out in traffic.''
Riddy crossed his arms in silence and pouted slightly. He felt like he was being treated as a kit half his age. Still, at the back of his mind, a part of him didn't mind this backup plan.
Eventually, they got some idea as to what was causing the traffic jam; cars on their side of the road were haphazardly converging from two lanes to one. While their car was already in the left lane, other cars still had to be let in. Finally, the problem was revealed to be a broken water pipe that had flooded several front yards and part of the road. Seeing water gushing from the ground didn't exactly help Riddy's situation, but at the same time he found himself unable to look away. Once they got past the broken pipe, traffic flowed more freely. While this provided some hope, Riddy feared it might have come too late as they were still some minutes from home. He crossed his legs as best he could in his seat. They hit a few bumps in the road, jarring Riddy, but he was able to hold on; it was a race against his bladder. His mom gave him a look of concern in the rear-view mirror. When they pulled into the driveway, Riddy was already trying to undo the buckles for his booster seat. The car was barely parked before he was out the door and running up to the front porch, only to find the door was locked.
``Hang on, I'll be right there,'' Riddy's mom said, as the young fox put his hands over his aching bladder. The door was unlocked, and he bolted upstairs to the bathroom. In his haste, he fumbled a bit with the buttons and fly on his shorts, but managed to open them, he tugged his pullup down, and finally relived himself in the toilet. The deed done, he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, zipped up, and sat down on the toilet seat to let his built-up stress melt away. To finally get out of his embarrassment, he figured he should change back into regular underwear. After a moment, he got up, flushed the toilet, and wandered sleepily to his room.
When Riddy reached his room, he stood, blinking for a moment just inside the door, trying to remember why he had gone in there. He gave up after a moment and grabbed one of his young readers' books from a shelf. It was a book he liked because the main character was a fox like him, and was about his age. Soon, though, he realized that he was just looking at the words on the page without really reading them, so he put the book down and went downstairs. There, he put on the TV and sat on the sofa. The program was just some sports commentary, which he didn't really care for; he just wanted the noise so he wouldn't fall asleep. He vaguely noticed that his mom had already put the new pannolinite crystal on the mantle; it looked rather nice.
After a while, Riddy's dad came in through the front door and they briefly greeted each other. The older fox picked up the new crystal and examined it briefly before giving it a little smile. He turned to Riddy as if to say something, but he could see how tired his son was, so he went into the next room. Riddy could hear his parents talking. He couldn't quite hear the conversation, but his name was mentioned a few times. No doubt there was some mention of his accident earlier. The conversation ended, and sounds of cooking soon emanated from the kitchen. Not long after that came the smell of tomato sauce.
When he heard his mom announce that dinner was just about ready, Riddy went upstairs to use the bathroom and wash his hands. The spaghetti dinner was delicious, and the mildly spicy flavor of the sauce (though not too spicy for a child's palate) was enough to rouse him from his sleepy state. Riddy focused on his meal while his parents talked about some issue that his dad was having at work. After Riddy finished, he started carrying his plate into the kitchen, but then his mom called behind him. ``Oh Riddy, come back to the table after you put that in the sink. There's something we want to talk to you about.''
``Okay, Mom.'' Riddy put his dish in the sink and filled it with water, so the remaining sauce wouldn't dry on it. He returned to the table to find both his parents looking at him, seeming slightly concerned.
``Riddy,'' his mom said, ``we noticed that you've been having some accidents lately. Today's was the worst one yet, but you had another one last week, and two the week before. You've had a few close calls, too. Just this afternoon was almost two accidents in one day.''
Riddy swallowed. ``I'm sorry Mom. I don't mean to do it; I promise!''
``I know, honey, and you're not in any trouble, but your father and I still think we need to do something about this problem.''
Riddy's dad spoke up now, ``It was kind of my idea to begin with. We think it would be best if you wear pullups when you go out, like you did last month at Wildeworld.''
``But that was just one time! I'm not a toddler,'' Riddy replied.
``I know you're not, but you have to admit, it did work out,'' his dad said, raising a finger.
Riddy crossed his arms and looked down at the table, unable to think of a response. He didn't want to admit that he had warmed up to the pullups on that trip but making it the routine was a big change.
``Riddy,'' his mom put a hand on his arm, ``wouldn't you rather avoid the embarrassment you had at the store today? I also saw how upset you were trying to hold it in the car. That kind of stress isn't good for you.''
``So, you want me to just pee in my pullups?'' Riddy said resentfully.
``No. You should still try to get to the bathroom, but don't stress yourself out over it. Just think of them as a safety net. We'll also check if you have to use the bathroom before we go anywhere. All that's changing is you getting some protection. What do you say?''
Riddy looked around the room, avoiding the expectant looks on his parents' faces as he thought it over. They seemed to be treating him like a four-year-old and agreeing to this would be a major hit to his big kid status. Bedwetting was one thing, but only little kids wore pullups during the day. Right? The bathroom checks made it worse, but he probably wasn't getting out of that arrangement either way. His parents would probably make a bigger deal of it if he didn't wear pullups. The pannolinite crystal caught his eye; the way the color popped drew his attention. It seemed to calm his turbulent thoughts. Truthfully, he didn't mind wearing pullups itself; it was mostly a strike against his big kid pride. But surely soaked pants were at least as damaging to that pride. The way things were going, he was probably bound to have another accident. Better have it so no one else had to know. And it would help to have another option in desperate times. On top of all that, maybe he was too worried about big kid credit. His teacher had said that everyone grows up in their own way. So what if he wore pullups for the occasional accident?
Finally, he broke his silence: ``Okay. I'll do it.''
``Atta boy.'' His dad gave him a pat on the shoulder.
``You made the right call. You're owning up to your problem; that's actually the mature thing to do, even if you don't feel like a big kid for doing this.''
``Thanks, Mom.'' Though, Riddy wasn't entirely sure he believed that.
After dinner, the family gathered on the sofa to watch TV. A documentary about astronauts was showing. The program had Riddy's interest, but he soon found his attention slipping; the invigoration brought by dinner had been short-lived. He wasn't even listening to the narrator at this point; just looking at the astronauts floating out in space. His eyes refused to stay open. Was he watching astronauts or was he an astronaut? Just floating...
Liz looked over to see her son had fallen asleep on the sofa. His head was tilted back and his mouth slightly open as a breathed gently. She didn't know how long ago it had happened, but she decided she had to rouse him just for long enough to get him in his pajamas and into bed. She gave him a gentle nudge and said, ``honey, let's get you up to bed.'' No response. After a couple more nudges, she figured she would have to do something he hadn't done since Riddy was about four years old: carry him up to bed. It took some effort to get him up, as he had gotten heavier since the last time. Even that disturbance didn't wake him. He'd had a busy day and made a rather difficult decision. With how intent kids were on appearing grown up, Liz wasn't sure she'd have gone along with such a plan when she was his age. As she carried him toward the steps, she wondered for a moment if she had made the right decision. Afterall, it wasn't normal for eight-year-olds to wear pullups during the day. But as she passed the mantle, the crystal catching the corner of her vision, she remembered her own words to her son; she needed to let him grow at his own pace. Once upstairs and in Riddy's bedroom, she laid him down in bed and removed his day clothes. When she took off his shorts, she saw that he was still wearing the DryJam from earlier. It was still dry, so that meant only one last step. Putting his pajamas on brought a sort of nostalgia; it felt like he was her baby again. Once he was dressed and tucked in, she whispered ``good night, Riddy. I love you,'' turned off the light, and left the room.
Riddy woke once again to the feeling of a wet DryJam. As he gained his senses, he became confused for a moment; he did not remember going to bed or getting in his pajamas last night. Blushing, he realized that his mom or dad must have carried him up. He really was getting the little kid treatment. A twinge from Riddy's bladder interrupted these thoughts. The DryJam had had on was thoroughly soaked; unusually so. It was unlikely it would hold another wetting. The only option was to head to the bathroom. On his way, he ran into his dad.
``Hey, Riddy! Glad I caught you. Since it's Saturday and I finally caught a break from weekend projects, I was thinking we could have a family outing today; maybe have a picnic at the park and then go to that movie you wanted to see. What was it again?''
``Custodians of the Cosmos?''
``That's the one.'' The older fox snapped his fingers ``Mom's already up for it, too. Sound fun?''
``Yes, let's do it!'' was Riddy's response.
``Just remember the deal we made yesterday.''
``Yes, Dad.'' Riddy blushed again.
After using the bathroom, Riddy returned to his bedroom to change. He opened his underwear drawer for a moment but decided there was little point in putting on a pair if he was just going to put on a pullup before long. So, on went his day clothes with a more absorbent selection of underwear. At this point he still felt a bit embarrassed about the new policy, but as he took in the feeling of the pullup and checked to make sure nothing was peeking over his waistband, he felt some comfort in it being there. Now dressed for the day, the young fox watched Saturday morning cartoons as he ate breakfast and, all told, it was an uneventful morning.
He kept watching for a bit after finishing breakfast until his dad came up to him. ``Okay, Riddy. Let's get ready to go.''
``Alright!'' Riddy turned off the TV and got up from the sofa.
``Two things,'' his dad held up two fingers for emphasis. ``First: remember to wear a pullup.''
``I'm already wearing one.''
``Second: try using the bathroom before we go.''
Riddy blushed at this one, gave a quick ``okay, Dad'' and went upstairs. He stood over the toilet for about a minute, but nothing came out and he felt no urge to go.
``Did you go?''
``I didn't have to.'' He pressed his ears back, feeling quite embarrassed at his parents so keenly monitoring his bathroom habits.
``That's fine, just making sure.'' His dad gave him a pat on the should. ``Let's get you in the car.''
``Is Mom coming?''
``On my way,'' she called from the other room.
The family headed out to the car. Riddy climbed in and, once again, his mom buckled him into the booster seat before he could do it himself. He felt the momentary urge to protest, but by now he felt resigned to the little kid treatment. It was not a long drive over to the park, and Riddy contented himself with looking out the open car window, feeling the wind on his face.
It was a gorgeous day at the park. Despite the good weather and it being a Saturday, the park was not crowded. Several paths wound their way across fields and into the wooded area that occupied the southern part of the park. A few kids of varying ages were running and climbing on the playground about a hundred feet from the parking lot. Next to the playground stood a small, nondescript brick building, with a sign indicating restrooms and vending machines. A short distance beyond that stood some pavilions with picnic tables and charcoal grills. ``Mom, can I go to the playground first?''
``Sure, honey. Don't wait up.''
Riddy set off for the playground at a light run. He climbed up the playset and went down the slide a few times, but he was quite feeling the fun as much as he would like. Some of the other kids were playing tag, so he decided to try and join in. However, just as he approached them to ask if he could play, a wolf boy pushed him out of the way while in pursuit of the bear cub who was now ``it.'' Watching the chase take place, Riddy decided that this game of tag was a bit too rough for his tastes. He went over to the swings where he saw a familiar-looking hedgehog girl getting on a swing herself.
``Oh, Hi Riddy,'' Lisa said cheerfully.
``Hi,'' Riddy replied enthusiastically. Although he had only met her briefly, he was glad to see a familiar face.
``Hey, uh, can you give me a push?''
``Don't you know how to pump your legs?''
``Yeah, but I need a start.'' She swung her legs to demonstrate, her toes just scraping the ground.
``Oh, okay.'' Riddy got behind Lisa and gave her first one push, being careful of her quills, and then a second.
``I got it now,'' the hedgehog said, now able to gain momentum on her own.
Riddy then got on a swing himself and soon caught up to Lisa's pace. They were out of sync, though so Lisa kept swinging in and out of sight. At one point, just after disappearing behind him, she said, ``Hey, I see you. Wait, no I don't.'' Then she disappeared again. ``I see you again!''
Riddy joined in as he swung back ``No, I see you.''
``No, I see you,'' said the girl when it was her turn. And so, they continued. The game was simple and a bit dumb, but fun nonetheless and neither could keep from giggling. The air lifted Lisa's blouse a bit, revealing what appeared to be the top of a pullup peeking over her waistband. Riddy became a little worried that his own pullup was showing and figured he'd better get off the swing to check. He jumped off as he came to the top of the arc and easily landed on his feet. He quickly checked and was reassured to find his own shirt hung lower over his hips than Lisa's did over hers.
``Woah, that was cool!'' she called from behind, lowering her feet to the ground to stop.
``Oh, yeah. It's cool to do, but it takes a bit of learning.'' Riddy smiled, feeling more like a big kid for a change. ``Hey, I'll race ya to the jungle gym.''
``Alright!'' came the response.
Riddy got there first and started climbing. Lisa's climbing was a bit slower. Perhaps it was because Riddy was just older and taller. Perhaps foxes were built more for climbing than hedgehogs. Either way, the young fox slowed down a bit to let Lisa keep up. As she came up beneath him, he tried to move out of the way, but his footpaw slipped and he tipped forward over the bar near his waist level, causing him to pivot forward. He was nearly upside-down before he could stop the roll. His shirt fell up his torso, exposing his lower back and belly.
Lisa laughed and asked, ``are you okay?''
``Yeah,'' Riddy replied as he carefully tried to right himself.
``Hey, is that a pullup?''
Riddy quickly righted himself, letting his shirt fall back over his waistband, and put a finger to his lips. ``Shh, not so loud.'' He glanced over at the other kids, but they didn't seem to have noticed. ``Yeah.'' He folded his ears back a bit. ``But I don't want other people to notice.''
``Oh, okay. I'm wearing one, too. I asked my mommy about it after you told me at Wildeworld. Does that mean you've been having accidents, too?''
Riddy was caught off-guard by Lisa's lack of a filter, but he eased himself into a sitting position against one of the horizonal bars and quietly answered ``yeah.''
``Well, if it happens to a big kid like you, then I guess I'm okay,'' the hedgehog said cheerfully.
``Yes. My mom says everyone grows at their own pace.'' Being looked up to also helped Riddy feel better about his situation. Their conversation was interrupted by a grumble from Riddy's stomach. ``I think it's time for me to go to lunch.''
``Aw, really? Mommy is probably going to take me home soon.''
``Yeah. I'm getting hungry. But if you're not here when I'm done, I'm sure we'll see each other again.''
``And you'd be right,'' came a female voice from behind Riddy. He turned to see an adult hedgehog who bore a strong resemblance to Lisa. ``Who's your friend, Lisa?''
``Mommy, this is Riddy!'' she said excitedly. ``He's the kid in pullups I told you about.''
Riddy blushed intensely and Lisa's mom grimaced slightly. ``Well,'' she said awkwardly, ``I guess we have you to thank for helping with Lisa's situation.''
``Um, thank-, um, you're welcome,'' Riddy stuttered, still recovering from Lisa's indiscretion.
``Come on, Lisa, it's time to go home.''
Lisa looked at Riddy, then back to her mom. ``Okay,'' she said, sounding disappointed. She leaped down from the jungle gym and followed her mother.
As the two departed, Riddy could hear the older hedgehog stat to say, ``now, honey, you have to be more careful when you talk about other people...''
Riddy jumped down in turn and walked over to his parents. ``Mom, Dad, can we have lunch, now?''
``Sure, Riddy,'' Said his dad, checking his watch, ``I was just getting hungry myself.''
The family picked a picnic table under the nearest pavilion. Riddy's dad pulled some sandwiches and water bottles out of the backpack. They sat and ate for a while, just enjoying the warm summer breeze. Riddy was starting to notice a slight pressure in his bladder, but not enough to act on just yet. After lunch, Riddy was allowed to get an ice cream bar from one of the vending machines, then he and his parents went on a walk on one of the looping footpaths Riddy was enjoying his ice cream and the sound of birds singing. He could hear the cheerful tune of a robin somewhere overhead. As the walk progressed over the next half hour or so, his need to pee became more urgent. He told his parents of his need to go. By then, they were more than halfway around the loop so all they could do was quicken the pace, which Riddy found difficult because of his tired legs. Finally, they arrived at the building only to find a chain across the entrance, with a sign saying, ``closed for repairs.''
``Oh no,'' said Riddy, placing his hands between his legs.
``It's about time to leave for the movie. Do you think you can hold it until then?'' his mom asked.
``I don't know.''
``Remember, you're wearing your pullup. If you're just going to be uncomfortable otherwise, you can use it. That's what it's there for.''
Riddy stood in silence for a moment. He was hesitant to just pee his pants like this, but he remembered how unpleasant all his recent close calls were, including yesterday in the car. Finally, he relaxed, and his pullup grew warm and heavy, but showed no signs of leaking. His mom noticed her son's sigh, a mixture of relief and defeat, and put her hand on his shoulder.
``There, isn't that better?''
Riddy merely nodded, still trying to process what he had done. While he was relieved that he no longer had to fight his bladder, the relief itself bothered him a bit. Already, a part of him liked the protection his DryJams afforded. The idea that he was even willing to concede this, though, was a blow to his big kid status. He looked again at the closed bathroom. ``Um,'' he said softly to his parents, ``Where am I gonna change out of this?''
His dad hesitated, ``Good question, kiddo.'' He looked around, then turned back to the kit. ``Do you think you could hold out a until we get to the theater?''
Riddy blushed again and put his ears back. A quiet ``okay'' was all that came out of him. The family returned to the car and, once again, the young fox found himself being strapped into his booster seat and was more-or-less resigned to that treatment. Now that he was sitting, he could feel the now-slightly-swollen pullup being pressed against him. He didn't really feel eight years old at that moment. While the theater was not far away, the traffic from weekend shoppers at the nearby mall meant progress was slow and both parents showed signs of growing impatient. Riddy, was kept occupied for a bit as a few cool-looking cars passed by in the other lane, but he too started to worry that they'd be late for the movie.
The family got to the theater after the official start time of the movie, but Riddy's dad reassured him that only meant they'd miss some previews. They even had time to get popcorn and drinks. Finally, they made their way to their seats with a few minutes to spare. The last few previews didn't really interest the young fox, who was impatient to get to the start of Custodians of the Cosmos. A couple were for icky romances that made him gag. And there was a trailer for My Tiny Unicorn. That one was totally for babies. And girls. And baby girls.
And now the movie opened; jumping straight into the action with a crippled spaceship hurtling toward a planet, piloted by none other than Jet Jerboa. Riddy was totally captivated as Jet teamed up with KillerNova, the Star Thief, Atmos, and Pluto Pup to stop the evil Lord of the Abyss from destroying galactic civilization with a black hole generator. Of course, all that salty popcorn Riddy was eating made him thirsty, so he drank heavily from his ice water. He barely noticed his actions here; his attention was fully captured as the heroes tried to find Wormhole Willy, who might give them a way past the villain's defenses. The only interruption to enjoying the movie came when a calico girl, a bit younger than Riddy, scooched past. A few seconds later, she received some very rude words, which ought not be repeated, from a badger a few seats down. The girl received another round of profanity minutes later when she returned. Somewhere nearby, a voice said, ``Shame on you! She's a child!'' This was followed by another rude response. The cat moved past Riddy again, sobbing slightly.
The row was calm once again. The heroes had found Willy but were presented with a new set of challenges. By now, though, Riddy was caught in a cycle he had been in many times at the movies: all that drinking was making him have to pee. This always happened. He always missed something. But the movie was just too exciting. He had to find out if and how the heroes would make it through Willy's tests! On top of that, he was afraid to anger the rude badger. Then he remembered his pullup. In the rush to get to the movie, he hadn't changed out of the wet one, but it could definitely hold more. After a moment's hesitation, he let loose. The cause of his distraction now gone, he immersed himself in the movie once again. The Custodians got to the Lord of the Abyss's planet where they had an epic battle and defeated the villain by getting him sucked into one of his own black holes. For a moment, it seemed that Jet had sacrificed himself, but it turned out that Pluto Pup saved him at the last minute.
The movie ended. The credits rolled. As Riddy got up, he felt the weight of his soaked DryJam. He had really done a number on it. He was a little embarrassed by what he had done and wasn't sure how his parents would react if they found out he had used it not-so-accidentally. However, he also appreciated the convenience. No more missing movie scenes or squeezing past irritated moviegoers. Maybe this pullups deal would work out well. Riddy's dad bent down and whispered in his ear ``Hey, how's the pullup holding up?''
Riddy's ears flattened. ``It's, uh, pretty soaked,'' he whispered back. ``How did you - ''
``You always have to pee during movies. Though I don't blame you for not wanting to deal with that jerk in there.''
``Oh.''
The family walked to the bathrooms on the far side of the theater complex, so Riddy could change away from the crowd. Once there, his dad handed him a spare pullup and a pack of wet wipes.
``Another pullup?'' Riddy asked.
``That's the rule,'' his dad replied. ``Pullups when you go out. Besides, I didn't bring any other `underwear' for you. You can change out of it when we get home.''
``Okay Dad.'' He slipped off the wet pullup, which hit the floor with a plop, cleaned his fur with the wipes, and put on the new one on. Admittedly, being back in a fresh pullup felt nice. After checking to make sure the coast was clear, Riddy then left the stall and tossed the thoroughly used undergarment in the garbage.
There was not much to be said about the trip home. Riddy was tired after the long day, but he kept thinking about how cool the movie was. Back at the house, he quickly made his way up to his room and brought out his Legos. He wanted to build Jet's ship. Or at least get as close as he could with the pieces he had; there were a few sets from Space Voyage and Galaxy Battles that he could scavenge. The fox kit soon lost all track of time as he worked on the ship; stopping only once to use the bathroom. At long last, he had finished construction. It actually did look rather like Jet's ship. Sure, it wouldn't win any prizes in a competition, but it wasn't bad work for an eight-year-old.
The timing on completing the Lego work couldn't have been more perfect. Riddy had barely spent five minutes admiring his masterpiece when he got called down for dinner. No complaints there, however: the fox just now noticed how hungry he had become, and the smell of roast chicken was mouthwatering. Of course, to his disappointment, that chicken also came with broccoli. He knew better than to complain, though, and ate his veggies quietly (and stoically as he liked to imagine). His parents were quite pleased with this outcome: his dad praised him for taking the broccoli ``like a man'' and his mom let him have an extra scoop of ice cream.
Riddy had initially planned on playing outside for a bit after dinner, but by this point he was pretty tired from the day he'd had. So instead, the family gathered on the sofa to watch TV. His dad flipped through channels for a bit, trying to find something they all could enjoy. After a few minutes he settled on an episode of The Parsons, an animated sitcom. This episode centered on the brother and sister characters finding ways to fight boredom. In one scene, the brother randomly booped his sister on the nose. Seized by a silly urge, Riddy did the same to his dad.
``Boop,'' he said.
His dad returned in kind, ``boop''
``Boop,'' Riddy went once again.
And so, they went back and forth four or five more times before Riddy received a boop to the belly, eliciting a giggle. Then came another, and another. Within seconds the boops had turned into a full-on tickle attack with Riddy laughing uncontrollably.
``Stop!'' he protested playfully as he squirmed around.
He felt warmth at the front of his pullup.
``Stop! I'm peeing! I'm peeing!''
His dad abruptly stopped and looked down at the sofa with concern, but there was no sign of a wet spot. ``Are you still wearing a pullup, Riddy?''
The boy took a second to catch his breath and stop the flow of pee. ``Yeah,'' he replied, giggles still dissipating. Now he was wondering if he might be in trouble. ``I guess I forgot to change out of it.''
``Well, lucky for the couch you did forget.'' He looked over to his wife, who gave a nod.
``Which brings something up that Mom and I were thinking about. When we talked to you yesterday about you wearing pullups on outings, that wasn't all we considered. You have had a couple accidents and close calls at home before this and you seem to have had more accidents in generally recently.''
``And?'' the kit asked.
``And,'' his mother interjected, ``we were thinking it might be a good idea for you to wear pullups full-time.''
``All the time? But I'm potty trained. Going out is one thing, but I'm not a toddler.''
``We know. This is just a precau - just in case. How about this: we'll try it for a week. If you don't have any accidents, you can go back to regular underwear, at least at home. Deal?'' She held out a paw.
Riddy considered for a moment. He had been open to the idea for outings, and it had certainly come in handy. But wearing them 24/7 felt like a real demotion to toddler status. No more big kid underwear; just a step up from diapers really. He around the room and his eyes once again landed on the pannolinite crystal, although he knew better, it almost seemed to glow a bit. His thoughts calmed once again. The young fox recalled his earlier decision to wear DryJams. Surely, if it was in the privacy of his own home, there wasn't more potential for embarrassment from wearing them than there was out in public. And it was a better alternative than puddles on the floor, or worse, stained furniture that would forever be a testament to any accident. Maybe it really was a good idea. He also thought back to his experience at the movie. Maybe it would just be nice to have that option open. He shook his mom's paw. ``Deal.''
``Now, why don't you go up and get yourself changed?''
``Okay.'' And with that, the fox kit returned to his room and took a fresh DryJam from the pack. He noticed that there was still a bit of pressure left in his bladder, not quite emptied during his latest accident. The fox reasoned his current DryJam was already garbage-bound, so he might as well finish it off. The undergarment swelled up some more and sagged a bit. Satisfied, Riddy changed into the clean DryJam. He thought about how well it hard worked today, and in his earlier use of them at WildeWorld. Yes, spending a week in pullups would be just fine. And if it went longer, for accidents do happen, would that be so bad?
