All My Mother's Rules

Chapter 20: Group Project

Does waking up in the morning with a dry pull-up really count if you had to change out of a wet pull-up in the middle of the night?

Mom must have thought so. She was in a better mood in the morning when she pulled back my sheets to find that I had managed to keep my pull-up dry for the remainder of the night. I guess I should have been grateful for those little accomplishments, but the events over the last night had only served to compound the stress I was under.

I rubbed my eyes as I attempted to force myself to wake up. Having my sleep cycle interrupted like that was no good. I knew the shower would wake me up, but I could hardly summon the energy to get myself up and out of bed.

"Come on, you need to get going," Mom said as she gave me another gentle nudge on the shoulder.

I pulled myself out of bed, the pull-up still visible as Mom gave me a re-assuring hug.

"I'm sure this was just a phase you'll get over," Mom said. "No one wears diapers to college."

That phrase wasn't all that re-assuring. The last time a doctor had told me that bedwetting was just a phase, I'd gone on to do it for another three years.

I hopped into the shower while Mom took care of changing Emilia out of her wet diaper and getting her dressed for the day. A week ago, I would have given anything to get out of diaper duty. Now, I'd give anything to be back in charge of caring for Emilia rather than having Mom treat me like a toddler. I knew I couldn't dawdle in the shower or I'd be late for school, but I also wanted to savor one of the few moments of freedom that I got from wearing a pull-up. If today was anything like yesterday, after the shower, Mom would be waiting for me again in the bedroom, ready to get me dressed.

I didn't put up any fuss as Mom dressed me. Being cooperative meant it was over with faster, and that's all I wanted. I didn't care for the hoodie she selected – gray with "Girl Power" emblazoned on it in pink, glittery letters. Sure, I'd worn it a ton in middle school, but that childish stuff wasn't what I want to be seen wearing to high school. I suppose if Mom was going to be dressing me, it might be worth taking a look at my closet later and moving anything I don't like to the very back and out of her sight.

Mom chatted away while getting the clothes on me, which was nice, as the situation still felt too weird for me to want to say anything.

"I checked your grades online last night..."

Please. Please. Please. Let there be no assignments with grades other than "A." I didn't need another spanking.

"... and none of them were bad."

Mom had gotten me completely dressed besides from pulling on my jeans when she motioned for me to get off the bed.

"Come on, you need to hurry up and eat breakfast before school."

"Mom, I'm not going to school like..."

I couldn't bring myself to mention the uncovered pull-up.

"...this."

"You don't need the jeans now. I'll put them on you once it's time for you to head out the door."

I chose not to argue. I just wanted this over with, but Sunday felt so far away. After pouring myself a bowl of cereal, I joined Emilia at the table in the kitchen. She glanced up at me as I sat down at the table, but other than that, she didn't pay any attention to me or the pull-up that I was wearing. Not that she should be able to say much, given that she had on a fully exposed pull-up as well.

I hated this. There was a reason people didn't just waltz around in their underwear all the time, and it wasn't only for the sake of modesty. While the pull-up covers everything it needs to cover, it doesn't cover the things it doesn't need to cover. That was to say, that meant a good portion of my bottom was exposed to the cold, hard surface of the chair. I wolfed down the cereal as fast as I could. I didn't mind the idea of being early and waiting outside for ten minutes or so for the bus as long as that meant I could at least be fully dressed.