Riddy was sitting in the booster seat in the back of his mom's car, staring out the window. It was an overcast day and a few drops from a slight drizzle spotted the window as the young fox looked out. The weather seemed to reflect his somewhat unhappy mood. ``Mom, do I really have to go to daycare?'' he whined.
``I told you honey,'' his mom, Lizzie, replied, ``I have some things to straighten out at the DMV. It'll be really long and boring. You wouldn't like it one bit.''
``But I won't know any kids there, and daycare is for little kids.''
``I'm sure you'll make friends quickly. This daycare takes big kids too.''
Riddy grumbled. The rest of the drive passed in silence, and a couple minutes later they were pulling into a driveway. The daycare building was an ordinary suburban house, standing out from the others only by its daisy-yellow siding and a sign on the front that said, ``One Size Fits All Daycare'' in colorful letters. Riddy pondered at the strange name as his mom unstrapped his booster seat and led him to the front door.
Once inside, the two were greeted by a tall brown bear wearing a white blouse. Despite her size, she had a sweet, peppy demeanor. ``Hello,'' she said cheerfully. ``You must be Riddy and Lizzie. I'm Bonnie, the owner.''
``Pleased to meet you,'' Lizzie replied, shaking the bear's paw.
Bonnie turned to Riddy. ``And aren't you a handsome young fox?'' She ruffled his headfur. Riddy suppressed another groan.
``How about we get you checked in then?'' Lizzie nodded. As she went over to a desk to sign the papers, Riddy peaked back into the living room. He saw several other kits of various species playing with toys and coloring books. All of them were much younger than Riddy; most looked no older than two years. He could also see two adult caretakers, a kangaroo and an arctic fox, tending to them.
``Mom, it's all babies back there. I thought they took big kids.''
``Oh, we do: all ages from two to ten.'' Bonnie replied. ``Those are just the ones we have in right now. I'm sure you'll run into someone your age today. Now, your mom has signed all the papers so I'll go over the rules with you: You have to play nice with the other kids, no matter their age. That means no fighting, hitting, name-calling, or anything like that. And you have to share toys too; they're here for everyone. No food is allowed outside the kitchen; we can't be getting crumbs on the carpet.'' Riddy nodded. Bonnie continued. ``If you have to go potty, tell a grown-up and they will take you there.'' Riddy blushed a bit at this. ``And finally, you have to wear the uniform.'' At this, Bonnie presented a folded pair of baby blue overalls and a yellow T-shirt. A number ``8'' was embroidered on the overalls. Riddy eyed the clothes, not fond of their babyish appearance. ``Now, you have a choice with this uniform: do you want to wear a diaper or a pullup?'' She gestured to some packages of padding in the corner.
``What?'' the young fox replied in shock. ``Neither. I'll just keep my regular underwear.'' He crossed his arms.
``Those are the rules. All kids have to wear diapers or pullups. We can't have the slightest chance of an accident staining the carpet.''
``But I won't have an accident! I'm eight!''
``I know you mean that, but they are called accidents for a reason.''
Riddy hesitated. ``Fine I guess I'll take the pullup.'' He pouted.
``Good choice.'' Bonnie patted him on the shoulder.
``I actually brought one of his pullups,'' Lizzie chimed in. To Riddy's shame, she pulled one of his DryJams out of her purse. ``He already wears these to bed.''
``MOM!'' Riddy's ears flattened back, and he blushed so hard it seemed almost to singe his fur. ``Wait, you knew they'd do this?''
``Oh, that was very considerate, Lizzie'' Bonnie replied, ignoring Riddy, ``but you didn't need to. We have plenty here and I'm sure they'd fit. In fact, I prefer to use our own stock.''
``Actually,'' Riddy shyly interjected, ``could I just wear mine?'' If he had some choice in the matter, he'd rather wear a DryJam than the ones from the daycare: clearly marked as Tug-Ups training pants.
``Okay, if you feel better that way.'' Bonnie said reassuringly. ``Now go get changed. You can go behind my desk if you want a bit of privacy.''
Riddy took the uniform and DryJam back behind the desk and took off his shirt, pants, and underwear. On went the daycare shirt, the pullup, and the overalls. The overalls, he noticed, had snaps around the legs, crotch, and tail; no doubt meant for diaper changes. He stepped out, feeling like an overgrown toddler. ``I look like a baby in these.''
``Nonsense,'' Bonnie said cheerfully. ``It shows your age right here, so everyone knows what a big boy you are.'' She pointed to the ``8'' embroidered on his overalls. Somehow, he didn't find this so reassuring.
Riddy said goodbye to his mom and Bonnie helped him over the child safety gate and into the main part of the daycare. He cautiously walked into the living room where ten or so other kids were playing. Most were in pairs or groups of three, playing with toys while a couple were watching TV. A couple more could be heard in another room. From what he could see, all of them had a number on their overalls, and all those he could see were 2s. He gave them a wide berth, not wanting to play with babies. To his dismay, one of them looked at him and shouted ``A new kid! A new kid!''
From the next room, a rabbit boy, taller than the other kids, came running in. He had a ``4'' on his overalls. ``Oh cool!'' he said. ``Wow, you're eight! I'm not the biggest one here anymore. Miss Kate says I can help hand out juice boxes. Do you want one? Also, I'm Ben; what's your name?''
Riddy was slightly stunned by the rapid-fire series of questions. After a moment he stuttered. ``I-I'm Riddy, and, uh, sure I'll have one.'' Ben handed a yellow juice box to Riddy, who replied with a quick ``Thank you.''
The kangaroo came up behind Ben and said ``Oh what a good helper you're being! Do you want to give some to the little tots, to?''
``Yes! I wanna help the tots!'' Ben half shouted. He grabbed several more juice boxes and started handing them out to the smaller kids, who jumped up excitedly.
Riddy took a moment to inspect the juice box. Colorful letters on the box said ``Tot-Boxes'' and ``FOY-infused.'' There was an image of what appeared to be wolf cubs of various sizes, one of them in a diaper. Riddy had no idea what ``FOY-infused'' meant. He had heard his mom complain about chemicals in food, but it couldn't be bad if the box bragged about it, right? He took a sip. It was definitely apple juice but with a little added sweetness. He felt a strange but mild sensation upon drinking it, somehow soothing and energizing at the same time. It radiated out from his stomach to the tips of his toes, ears, and tail. Somehow, it made him feel more at ease being surrounded by a bunch of little kids.
He looked around, thinking about what sort of game or other activity he might join in on. Pretty much all the kids appeared to be two years old, based on the numbers on their overalls. He wasn't too keen on playing with them. A calico with a ``3'' on her uniform trotted by, proudly showing the arctic fox caretaker her drawing. Three was hardly better. That only left...
``Hi Riddy'' came a familiar voice. The fox turned to see Ben, who was holding his own juice box. ``Wanna play Link-O's with me?'' Maybe playing with the four-year-old wouldn't be too bad.
``Sure.'' The fox replied. ``Maybe I can teach you a thing or two.''
``You sure about that? I'm pretty good.'' The rabbit smirked.
``Yeah, but I'm bigger.''
``Oh?'' Ben appeared to think for a moment. ``Hmm, is this your first time here then?''
``Yeah, why?''
``Oh, there's just a few things to learn about this place. I've been coming here a while.''
Ben showed Riddy the box where the Link-O's were kept. Riddy was disappointed that they were the big block kind for little kids. It made sense, though, since they didn't want the toddlers choking on anything. After a pause, Riddy thought he might enjoy the challenge. Digging through the box, he realized that the blocks were a lot more varied than he expected. He noticed one set-up that would let one piece spin in place, so he set about making a car, taking occasional sips from his juice box as he worked. He started to notice a bit of pressure in his bladder, but he figured he could hold it a little while longer. Eventually he was able to build something that looked like his older cousin's Furrari.
Riddy showed his work to Ben. ``Take a look at the car I - Woah.'' Ben had made a great T-rex out of his Link-O's. It was green with red eyes. He had even coordinated the colors to make it look like it had big stripes running down its back and tail. ``That's the best dinosaur I've seen a kid make. You're really good for your age.''
Ben looked down at the number on his number. ``Oh yeah, I'm 4.''
Riddy was confused. ``You didn't know your age? Did you just turn 4?''
Ben glanced downward. ``Uh... something like that.''
``Something... like that?''
``You'll find out.''
At this point, the growing urgency in Riddy's bladder overrode his curiosity. It had grown surprisingly fast. ``I gotta use the bathroom.''
``Good luck,'' called Ben, with perhaps a teasing note in his voice.
The young fox got up and started looking around. He soon spotted a door that said ``POTTY'' in pastel-colored felt letters. He reached for the doorknob and, to his horror, it was locked. He looked back and saw Kate the kangaroo come into the room.
``Why hello Riddy. What are you doing over here? Do you need to go potty?'' she said kindly.
``Yeah'' Riddy groaned, doing a bit of a potty dance and clutching his bladder.
``Remember the rules. You need to get a grown-up if you want to use the potty. Now, do you want me to open the door?''
``Yes, please.''
``Okay.'' Kate pulled out a key and unlocked the door. It was a fairly large bathroom, with a tub in one corner and what appeared to be a couple changing mats. There was also a child safety lock on the toilet.
``Uh, do you know how to undo that?'' He pointed.
``Oh, that's the grown-up potty. You don't need that. You use that potty.'' She pointed to a training potty in the corner, opposite the bathtub.
``But that's for little kids.''
``Oh, no. The potty is for big kids. Think you can be a big boy and use the potty?''
On the contrary, Riddy felt like he was getting quite the little kid treatment, but he yielded. ``Okay.''
``Okay, go on then.'' The kangaroo then stood there in silence.
``Uh, can you close the door?''
``Aw, a little bit potty shy, are we?'' She closed the door, leaving them both in the bathroom.
``I mean can you give me some privacy?''
``I can turn around if you're really shy, but all kiddos need supervision in the bathroom. Those are the rules.''
The feeling of getting the little kid sensation was doubled. No. Riddy couldn't go with the caretaker right there. ``Uh, maybe I don't need to go so bad.'' This wasn't entirely a lie. The initial urgency had subsided a bit, but he still definitely had to go.
``Okay, if you say so,'' Kate said cautiously. ``But a really big kid like you should know when he has to go. You don't want to pee in your pullup.''
``I-I can come back if I need to.'' As he left, Riddy caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. For a second, he could have sworn he saw a ``7'' on his overalls and not an ``8,'' but he shook his head at the notion. He returned to the Link-O's, hoping the pressure in his bladder would subside if he distracted himself.
``Did you go potty?'' Ben asked.
``No. Kate wanted me to use the little kid potty and wouldn't leave me alone.''
``Did you pee in your pullup?''
``No! I mean, how did you know I'm wearing a pullup?''
``It's the rules. It must be weird for a big kid like you wearing one.''
``Uh, yeah.'' Riddy replied, not wanting to mention that he wore them to bed.
``I bet you can hold your pee thiiis long'' Ben stretched out his arms.
``I uh...'' All this talk about pullups and peeing wasn't helping the situation, and the pressure in Riddy's bladder surged again. ``Excuse me.'' He got up and ran toward the bathroom. ``Miss Kate, Miss Kate.''
``One second, let me finish up here.'' The Kangaroo was just finishing taping a fresh diaper onto a koala and refastening his overalls. ``Yes, Riddy?''
``I really gotta go potty!''
``Okay then, let's hurry.'' She walked over to the bathroom and unlocked the door once again.
``Can I please, please use the big potty?'' Riddy pleaded. ``I...I...'' his words failed him just as his bladder did. His DryJam grew warm and heavy inside his overalls. He stood there in silence, unable to stop the flow once it started. As his accident finished, he looked up at Kate, blushing. His ears flattened back and his tail wrapped around to the front, as if to hide his shame.
``Aw, did you have an accident?''
Riddy could only nod.
``That's okay. That's what pullups are for. Come on now, let's get you changed.'' She helped him out of his overalls. ``Oh my, these are really the big boy pullups. Well, kudos to you for trying to be so grown up.'' She ripped off the DryJam and gave him a quick wiping, to his utter embarrassment. Then she provided him with a new pullup. This one wasn't his usual DryJam but a pair of Tug-Ups brand training pants.
``Don't you have ones like mine? I'm too big for those.''
``These are the only pullups we have. I'm sure they'll fit. I'll even let you put them on yourself like a big boy.''
Riddy reluctantly took the pullup, put it on, and refastened his overalls. Great. Now he was in a little kid pullup. But there was something else. As he fastened the last button on his overalls, he saw not an 8, or a 7, but a 6. ``Six?'' Riddy exclaimed. ``But I'm eight!''
``You were when you came in. But you're six now. You did have an accident and that's not such a big kid thing. I think this is more fitting.''
Riddy wanted to cry, which Kate noticed.
``Here.'' She pulled a juice box out of a pouch in her apron. ``This will help you calm down.''
Riddy took the juice box and sipped it. It really did have a calming effect. Somehow, it helped him accept what had happened. Maybe there was less shame in an accident if he was younger. Still pondering his situation, Riddy wandered back over to Ben, who was now building a Triceratops to go with his T-rex.
``I guess you didn't make it to the potty, huh? Drop a couple years?''
``No... And yes.'' Riddy grumbled. ``You knew this would happen?''
``Yeah, it happens to everyone.'' Ben inspected the horns on his dinosaur.
``Why didn't you tell me?''
``Well, you wouldn't believe me and it's more fun to watch kids find out for themselves.''
``Fun? But we're turning into babies!''
``Yep!'' Ben smiled. ``I was ten when I came in this morning. But I have more fun when I'm little.'' He paused. ``Uh oh! I gotta go potty.'' The rabbit stood in a half-crouched position. Riddy could hear a faint hissing sound. ``Eh, going on the potty in front of the grown-ups is really more trouble than it's worth.''
``Oh is it really?'' came an adult voice. The arctic fox caretaker came up to Ben. ``Well, if a certain little bunny isn't even interested in using the potty like a big boy, then maybe he isn't ready for pullups anymore.''
``Okay Miss Abby.'' Ben said, shyly putting a finger on his chin. Abby led him away by the paw.
Riddy continued to work with the Link-O's on his own for a bit, trying to build a pickup truck to go with his Furrari, continuing to sip his new juice box. He had made a bit of headway building the undercarriage for the truck when Ben returned. He was a bit shorter than before, the ``4'' on his overalls replaced by a ``3.'' A safety pin was now also fastened to the number as well. Riddy asked him about this new addition.
``It means I'm...You know what, you'll probably find out soon enough. Oh, looks like there's a new `big kid' on the block.'' Riddy looked toward the entrance to see a blue and white skunk, perhaps a couple years older than himself with Bonnie and an adult blue skunk. He did not look happy. Riddy caught a bit of the conversation.
``I don't wanna wear dumb diapers.''
``Well, it's that or pullups, Gussy, those are the rules.''
Riddy couldn't hear the rest of the conversation as Abby announced that it was lunch time. The fox hadn't noticed how hungry he'd gotten. He sat down at the small plastic picnic table next to Ben. The options were limited, but Riddy happily picked a grilled cheese sandwich and some apple slices. These, of course, came with a juice box to wash it all down. It was a good sandwich, maybe even as good as the ones his mom made.
``Uh, hi.'' Came a voice from behind Riddy. He turned to see the skunk, now dressed in the daycare uniform with an ``8'' on the overalls. ``Can I sit with you?'' he said sheepishly. ``You're the biggest kid here other than me.''
``Sure, I'm Riddy.''
``I'm Gus.'' The two shook hands and Gus sat next to Riddy, opposite Ben. Gus also opted for the grilled cheese and started sipping his own juice box.
``I saw you come in. Since you're eight I guess that makes you the biggest kid here.''
``Eight and a half!''
``I'll be that old soo - I mean it'll be cool when I'm that big.'' Riddy almost forgot his new age.
``I should be big enough not to wear this.'' He gestured to himself.
``You mean the pullups?'' Riddy asked.
Gus blushed. ``Uhm''''
``Don't worry, they made me wear one too. You never know when you'll have an accident.''
``But I don't have accidents or wear pullups.'' Gus turned toward his food, and muttered, not meaning for Riddy to hear, ``during the day.''
``Oh, do you wear pullups to bed? I do too.'' Riddy was, in the back of his mind, aware of his slipping inhibitions.
Gus blushed even harder at this. The ``8'' on his overalls changed to a ``7,'' moving like something out of a stop-motion movie. Gus didn't seem to notice. ``I uh. Please don't tell the other kids.''
``I'm sorry Gus. Can we still be friends?''
``Yes!'' the skunk said with a smile.
The two finished their sandwiches and apples, sipping their juice boxes all the while. Riddy was a bit more enthusiastic and ended up getting some greasy crumbs in the fur on his muzzle. Abby came around just in time to notice.
``Oh my, somebody's been a messy eater.'' Before Riddy had a chance to protest, she grabbed a wet wipe and wiped the crumbs off his muzzle. This act, combined with the rather babyish scent of the wipe felt like quite the little kid treatment.
Abby turned now turned her attention to Gus. ``No, no, I got it,'' the skunk said as he frantically wiped his own muzzle.
Abby inspected his work. ``Hmm, this is passable''
Gus looked back at Riddy. ``That was embarrassing. Wait, weren't you wearing a `6' before.''
Riddy looked down to see a ``5'' sewn into his overalls. ``Oh, I got younger again,'' Riddy said, a bit disappointed.
``Younger?''
``So did you.'' Riddy pointed to the ``7'' on Gus's overalls.
``What? We're getting younger?''
``Yeah, I was eight when I came in.''
``I was ten,'' Ben chimed in.
``Why didn't you tell me?'' Gus asked.
``Would you have believed me?''
``I guess not, but why aren't you freaking out?''
``I don't know. I guess I'm still having fun.'' Riddy put a paw on Gus's shoulder ``Just relax, have some juice, and come build Link-O's with me.''
The two went back into the playroom as Abby checked on Ben. Riddy was able to pick up where he left off building the truck, though it seemed the intricacy of it was a bit harder for him now. Gus, meanwhile, had started building a fortress for some of the Link-O furs. It wasn't long, though, before Ben ran into the room and said, ``Hey everyone, Pocket Beasts is coming on!''
Without hesitation, the skunk and the fox ran into the TV room just in time to catch the classic intro to the show. For the next half hour, they were glued to the TV as the main characters faced different challenges, culminating with a battle against the evil Team Ramjet. They were so captivated that neither paid much attention to the growing pressure in their bladders. Finally, the episode ended. ``I kinda have to use the bathroom. But I don't want to use the little kid potty.'' Riddy said.
``The little kid potty?'' Gus asked nervously.
``Yeah, that's all they have for us.''
``I don't think I'm that desperate yet.''
Before they could finish their conversation, the next episode was starting. They both tried their best to hold it in until the next commercial break. Riddy, being the younger of the two, felt he couldn't hold it that long and stood up to make a dash for the bathroom. The sudden change in posture, though, was a bit too much for his now-smaller bladder. The was a spasm, and once again he felt warmth spreading through his pullup. He swore he could feel himself shrink a little. Riddy gave a bit of a defeated sigh. He didn't want to go through the embarrassment of admitting he?d had another accident, so he laid back down on his belly to keep watching the TV, not terribly minding the squishy feeling of his pullup.
He didn't get to enjoy the show for very long, though, before Kate swooped in. ``I think I saw something a little suspicious right there. Did you have an accident?''
Riddy looked at the floor, then back at Kate. ``I, uh, yes,'' he said weakly. Gus turned to watch.
``And you didn't think to tell a grownup? You haven't made it even once today. I think you just aren't ready for pullups.'' She gently took Riddy by the paw, guided him to the changing mat in the bathroom, and bid him to lay down. She unsnapped the bottom of his overalls and tore away the sides of his sodden pullup. Riddy covered his eyes as he felt Kate wipe him clean, slide the diaper under his rear, and tape it in place. The diaper gave off a babyish smell. He had completely lost the right to call himself a big kid. Kate snapped his overalls back in place and stood him back up. ``There you go. No more worries about going to the potty now, you hear?'' She gave him a gentle pat on the rear. ``Oh, and one more thing.'' She clipped a safety pin onto the number on his overalls, which had now dropped down to ``3.''
As he walked out of the bathroom the diaper between his legs was noticeably thicker than his pullup. He hoped it didn't make him waddle visibly. ``I don't wanna wear diapers. I wanna be big again,'' Riddy whined.
Kate gave a smile. ``It's not so bad. Maybe a juice box will help calm you down.'' She pulled one out of her apron.
Riddy took the juice and once again felt calmer as he sipped it. After a moment, he felt good enough to return to the TV room, hoping he hadn't missed too much. But before he could make it to the next room, Gus came running in. ``Miss Kate, I gotta use the bathroom.''
``Use the bathroom? For what?'' she said teasingly.
``I gotta... I gotta go potty.'' The skunk blushed intensely. The number on his overalls dropped to ``6.''
``Okay Gussy,'' Kate opened the bathroom door. ``Go on and go potty.''
Gus eyed the training potty tentatively. ``Uh, can I have some privacy?''
``I'm sorry but all kids have to have a grown-up with them when they're in the bathroom.''
``But I - ''
Riddy, watching the whole thing, casually leaned against the wall, sipped his juice box and said, ``Just go in you pullup kid. It'll save you a lot of trouble.''
Gus covered his face in embarrassment. Kate burst out laughing.
``Well, are you going to go potty, Gussy?'' Kate asked.
Gus looked at the training potty again and paced nervously around the room. Suddenly he seized up and stood still. He sighed and said, ``You know what, I uh don't have to go so bad after all.''
The keen-eyed Kate, however, knew the tell-tale signs of a little kid piddling his pullups, something that happened there on a daily basis. ``You're not fooling me young skunk. You had an accident when the potty was right there in front of you!''
Gus covered his face again.
``Let's get you into a fresh pullup before you leak. Another accident like this, though, and we might have to put you back in diapers.'' Abby led him away to the bathroom to change.
Riddy, meanwhile, returned to the TV room. Gus returned after a few minutes, blushing profusely. The ``6'' on his uniform had become a ``5.'' After a few sips from the juice box he was holding, he seemed to calm him down. The two settled down and watched the rest of the Pocket Beasts episode. Gus didn't seem to want to talk about what had happened.
Soon after the episode ended Bonnie, Abby, and Kate came into the room. ``Okay, nap time!'' The bear announced. ``That means everyone gets a diaper or potty check.'' With that the three caretakers divided up the kids in the room, checking their diapers. A few of them, including Ben, now down to 2 years old, got taken away for changes. Abby checked Riddy, who was still clean and dry, though he was starting to feel a bit of pressure in his bladder again. Then she moved on to Gus, who also got a clean check. Apparently wanting to earn back some big kid points however he could, he offered to throw away his empty juice box himself.
In the meantime, Riddy was led to the nap room. He had some vague memories of the nap room from his preschool; a room lined with floor mats, blankets, and pillows. He expected much the same here. As he rounded the corner, though, he instead found a room with over a dozen cribs! Each one came with a baby monitor that was just out of its occupant's reach. Bonnie brought Riddy to one of the cribs, lowered the side, lifted him, and raised the side back up. He couldn't believe it. He had just been put in a crib like a little baby.
``I'm not even tired. I don't wanna take a nap.'' Riddy protested.
``Oh, don't worry. You'll find sleepytime comes quite easy in here. Now, lay down and rest your little head.''
Meanwhile Kate led Gus into the nap room. He was the last kid in. ``Cribs? But I'm not a baby! I don't take naps.''
``Now, now Gussy. You have to follow the rules just like all the other kids,'' Kate responded. Gus whimpered a bit as he was raised into his own crib.
``Sleep tight little ones,'' Bonnie said gently as she dimmed the lights. She turned on a noise machine that played sounds of rain showers and waves lapping on the shore. A faint scent of lavender filled the room. Despite his initial resistance, Riddy felt himself getting sleepy. As he drifted off, he felt some warmth spread through his diaper; he'd forgotten he even needed to go. Finally sleep claimed him. He dreamt about living life as a toddler. No school or responsibilities; just fun and love with his family. He didn't even need to worry about using the bathroom; he would just be lovingly changed by his parents. In this dream he completely forgot that he was a big kid.
``Hello Riddy, it's time get up,'' said a kind voice. Riddy stretched and yawned before opening his eyes to see Abby lowering the bars on his crib. He gave her a smile. She unsnapped a few of the snaps on his overalls and checked his diaper. ``A little wet,'' she said, ``but no need for a change just yet.'' Riddy smiled at her as she lowered him out of the crib. By now he felt no shame in being in a wet diaper. It was as if that was just the normal way of things. In fact, the slight added thickness was almost comforting. Abby carried him back to the playroom. He looked down at his overalls to see his number had gone down to ``2.''
``Oh what a big boy Gussy. You're still dry! Let's see if you can keep that up.'' Riddy turned to see Kate helping Gus out of his crib. A dry pullup, it seems, still was not enough to put off his regression, as the blue skunk's own number was down to ``4.''
Back in the playroom a few of the kids went about playing with Link-O's or toy cars and dinosaurs. Riddy wandered the room, curious about what other activities there were. He soon found a little cubby that had crayons and coloring books. He took some of the crayons and a mostly unused coloring book full of superheroes and returned to the playroom. Finding a nice spot, he laid down on his belly and started coloring while sipping a juice box. When he was older, he would have paid close attention to staying within the lines, but not so much now. He was coloring in WonderWolf when Gus came up to him.
``You're coloring him wrong.''
``Yeah, I know. I like it this way.'' Indeed, he had given the wolf orange fur and had made his suit green where it should be red, red where it should be blue, and gray where it should be yellow.
``Let me show you the right way.'' Gus got his own coloring book and started coloring in his own picture of WonderWolf. He was using mostly the right colors but his attempts at staying within the lines were quite clumsy.
Meanwhile, Riddy had left his juice box unattended for a bit. There was a bit of pressure in his belly, so he didn't feel like eating or drinking at the moment. Having finished with Wonder Wolf he had moved on to coloring Kit Flash. His attention was set on this task, but the pressure was becoming a bit uncomfortable. The little fox kit gave a push, and a warm mess filled the back of his diaper. Pressure relieved, he kept on coloring and continued to drink. After a few seconds, though, Gus asked, ``Ew, what's that smell?''
``It's, uh me.'' Riddy blushed, his ears laying back.
``You just went? Like a little baby''
``I am a baby now, and you'll be one soon, too.''
``I uh, hmf.'' Gus turned his attention back to his drawing. Riddy did the same.
The fox was just finishing coloring Kit Flash when he heard Bonnie's voice. ``Yes, he should be right in here.'' Riddy turned to see the bear enter the room with his mom.
``Mommy!'' He said half shouted as he ran up to her.
Lizzie picked up her now much younger son. ``Hey there little guy. Did you have a good time?''
Riddy thought for a moment. Despite his initial shock, he could only come to one conclusion. ``Yeah!'' was his response.
Lizzie sniffed the air. ``Oh, smells like someone is a stinky pants!'' she said in a sing-song voice as she booped his nose.
``Yeah,'' said Riddy more quietly his he buried his face in her neck.
``Aw, what a sweet little guy.'' Bonnie said. ``He was surprised at first, like they all are, but he settled in quite well by nap time.''
``Oh, that's good to hear.'' Lizzie replied. ``Now what was the timeline on this regression again?''
``Oh, he'll remain this age until at least bedtime and should be back to his regular age by this time tomorrow, maybe a little later if he had an extra juice box. We've found that potty training tends to lag so he'll probably need to stay in diapers or at least pullups for a couple days after that. Give us a call if that takes more than a week.''
``Oh, that's lovely. I'll have my baby back for a little bit.'' She gave Riddy a little squeeze. ``Where did you even get the idea for an operation like this?''
``Oh, I'm sure you know the feeling.'' Bonnie waved a paw in the air. ``I felt like my own son was growing up too fast and I knew a few like-minded parents. At the same time, I was getting into the daycare business, and I realized that the process was more streamlined when all the kids were the same age.''
``Now, if it's alright with this little guy here, I'd like to bring him back for more visits. Maybe Friday?''
Bonnie put her claw on a schedule. ``Oh, that should be fine. Though you should know the regression comes quicker and lasts longer if visits are close together.''
Lizzie turned to Riddy. ``What do you think kiddo. Does that sound good to you? You want to be little again after this?''
``Yeah!'' said the little kit.
``Alrighty then. I'll see you Friday,'' Lizzie told Bonnie. ``If this works out, I might just become a regular. Now,'' she set Riddy down and pulled out her checkbook. ``How much do I owe you?''
Riddy paid no attention to this part. Instead, he turned to see Gus, now reduced to three years old, being led to the bathroom by Abby. ``Looks like a certain little skunky isn't ready pullups anymore. Let's get you into a fresh diapee'' Gus glanced over at Riddy and shrugged before disappearing around the corner.
``Now,'' Lizzie said as she picked Riddy back up, ``Let's get you changed.'' And she carried him off to the first of possibly many diaper changes.
