Katie woke up crying. Her diaper was wet and messy and for a few minutes she was very disoriented. She had bars around her. She vaugley remembered a woman's voice singing her to sleep. Then it all came back to her. I'm in a crib, she thought. Laurie's mom babied me yesterday and now I'm sleeping in Laurie's crib. Wow. 
Her crying awoke Laurie's mother, Marilyn, who heard it over the baby monitor. She came in and comforted Katie, lifting her out of her crib and gently patting her back, speaking softly in her ear. "It's ok, Katie. It's alright. Mommy's here." Katie finally calmed down when she fully got her wits back to her. Laurie's mother gently changed her diaper and fed her a bottle. By this time, Laurie had woken up and needed her mother to change her and feed her breakfast. 
The trio went to the kitchen where Katie was put in the high chair for a final meal, and Laurie took a seat in a regular chair. Her mother fed her first, giving her a bottle to drink and feeding her scrambled eggs. Once Laurie was done she went and watched TV while her mother fed Katie the same. 
After breakfast Katie and Laurie watched TV for a bit, then played with some of Laurie's toys. "Laurie," Katie said while they were playing, "I had a lot of fun yesterday. I think...I think I've come to accept my diapers from this. I don't know. This baby thing is kind of weird, but it just sort of feels right. Blah, I'm really not saying this right." 
Laurie smiled, "I know what you mean. I felt the same way when mom started babying me. It was weird, but nice. I really got used to it after a while." She sighed, "Though sometimes I really wish I could just be normal. I mean, I'm never going to be able to live on my own. I'm always going to need someone to feed, change, and dress me. And I'm never going to be able to read a single word. Plus, not just because of my disabilities but also becuase I'm in the special needs class, no guy will ever want to go out with me." 
Katie nodded, "I know the feeling. There were one or two guys I was going to ask out, but who wants to date a girl who might mess herself in the middle of a date?" She sighed, then broke out laughing. "God we make an odd pair. Two girls who have to wear diapers, one of whom is treated like a baby all the time, sitting here wearing t-shirts and diapering and griping about how we can't find anyone to go out with." 
They talked and laughed a bit more and got more into their lives, their likes and dislikes. This went on for another hour or two when Katie's mom called. Laurie's mother called her over to the phone. "Hey mom," Katie said, "How's it going?" Despite how her mother had been treating her, Katie doubted that anything was going to make her feel rotten now. 
"Hello, darling," her mother said. She actually sounded a bit nicer now. "Did you have a good time with your friend?" 
"Yeah, mom, actually I did. Laurie's mom was really nice and changed me and all. Can she come over to Aunt Amanda's house for a visit sometime?" 
Her mother sounded a bit surprised, then apologetic. "Well...I'm really not sure. Listen, Katie, I was talking with Amanda and I think I've been treating you a bit harshly. I'm really sorry about it. I know it's not your fault that you can't control your accidents." 
Now it was Katie's turn to be surprised. Her mother had been so cruel to her over this whole thing. But Katie still loved her and was totally willing to let it go, "It's alright, mom. I understand. But can we talk about this later?" 
"Sure," her mother replied, "When do you want me to pick you up?" 
"Let me go ask Laurie's mom." she said and ran into the living room to ask Laurie's mom. Neither her or Laurie were there, so Katie went to Laurie's room and found Laurie on the change table being taken out of a very messy diaper. Katie remembered that she needed to be changed, but that would come after she finished with her mom. "My mom wants to know when you want her to come and pick me up." she said as Laurie was getting off the table. 
"Well, Laurie and I are meeting a friend at lunch, so I guess in half an hour or so. And Katie, you look like you could use a change, why don't you come in here once I finish up with your mother?" 
"Alright," Katie said to her and went back to the phone. "Laurie's mom says in a half hour or so." 
"Ok. Do you want me to bring a skirt and we can go out to lunch?" she asked Katie. Katie seriously thought about it for a few minutes. It had been embarrasing, but she was coming to accept herself. Besides, lunch couldn't possibly be worse than yesterday. 
"No, mom. That's alright. Don't worry about the skirt, I'm fine with just a shirt and diaper. But can you bring the diaper bag along? I'm probably going to need it." 
"Ok, honey. See you in a bit." her mother said. 
"Sure mom, bye." Katie finished, hanging up. She walked back to Laurie's room, and Marilyn helped her up on the table. She changed Katie into a fresh diaper and made sure she was very clean. 
"You look like you're getting a bit of a rash. I'm going to put some cream on you to clear it up, ok?" she asked as she wiped off Katie's bum. Katie nodded, slightly and Marilyn took a tube of white cream and smeared some on the red area. After that she powdered Katie and taped her into a new diaper. Katie got down off the table and Marilyn patted her on the bum and told her to go and play with Laurie. 
She found Laurie in the living room looking through her Super Nintendo games. Each had a set of coloured stickers on it that were quite large. "What are those for?" Katie asked, rather curious. She thought she might know, but she wasn't sure. 
"Color coding," Laurie replied, selecting one with two red stickers and a blue one. "Becuase I can't read the titles I learned how to match up the colors and pictures on the games. This," she said, holding up the game, "Is F-0, racing game. Wanna play?" Katie said sure, she enjoyed console games about as much as computers. They started playing, Katie reading out all the text to Laurie. 
They played until Katie's mom showed up. Katie gave Laurie and Marilyn big hugs, and both said that she could come back anytime. They traded phone numbers and Katie once again thanked them for helping her really come to terms with her diapers. She smiled and waved as she got into the car with her mother. She had made a friend who didn't care about her diapers. And she had found out something new about herself. Maybe this wasn't going to be a totaly bad vacation afterall. 

To be continued....