“Psst, wake up.”

Lizzie stirred awake to see Noah overlooking her. She rubbed her eyes, feeling the soft mittens against her face.

“Smash?” he whispered.

“What time is it?”

“Six.”

“Dang, when you said morning you meant morning. Sure, gimme a minute,” Lizzie rolled out of bed as Noah retreated to the room.

When Noah was out of sight, Lizzie felt around her diaper, thankfully, it seemed she’d managed to stay dry. Rolling out of bed, she struggled to put a hoodie on, the mittens slipping as she tried to grip the fabric.

This frustrated her, until she remembered that she could just remove them herself. Biting down, she tugged the ribbons loose, allowing her to slip them off and tuck them into her pocket.

By the time she entered the room, Noah was already sitting down, his token on R.O.B, all ready to go.

“R.O.B? You already forgot about what happened yesterday?” Lizzie taunted, locking Fox.

“You just got lucky, I know your tactics now,” Noah said, adjusting his glasses.

The two duked it out on Battlefield, abilities flying, Lizzie’s fingers blitzed across the tiny controller as her character dashed around.

“Yes!” Lizzie exclaimed as she managed to land a clean Up Smash. Noah turned to look at her wide-eyed, before nodding outside the door.

Lizzie brought her hands over her mouth, “oops,” she whispered.

“Well played though,” Noah said, “best of seven?”

“Aren’t your parents going to get mad if they see us up this early?”

“Eh, good point, we should duck back into bed before the others wake up.”

“Well, clearly I’m the Queen of Smash, but we can go one more if you think you have a chance.”

“Oh I’m ready to challenge the throne anytime.” Noah picked Peach.

“Peach? Didn’t know you were that type of guy.”

“My Peach is deadly, besides, what better than a princess to dethrone a queen.”

“Alright, it’s the battle of the princesses then,” Lizzie locked in her favorite character, Rosalina.

Noah let out a soft chuckle.

“It’s just you’re dressed like Rosalina and playing Rosalina,” he said. “Sorry,” he quickly added after noticing her glare.

“That’s how you know our synergy will be unstoppable.” Lizzie shrugged it off, but the comment reminded her of the diaper she was wearing underneath.

Lizzie wanted to change, but none of the adults would be awake yet, and she’d rather die than ask Noah and let him realize she couldn’t unzip herself.

The two played a few more games, with Lizzie managing to keep her lead. It was just past seven when Lizzie checked the time.

“Nice try, but I think I’ll be staying queen for today. We should probably go back to sleep before we get caught.”

Noah nodded in agreement, “Resume tonight though?”

“If you don’t mind losing,” Lizzie teased, and two headed back to bed.

***

Lizzie awoke with an odd feeling. She stirred, something was pressing against her stomach. She rolled around a bit trying to go back to sleep. However, the pressing feeling never left.

Eventually, she opened her eyes and felt her stomach. It took her a moment to realize the pressing feeling was instead coming from her bladder. She had to pee.

Lizzie hopped up, heading toward the bathroom. The others were still sound asleep.

She caught herself smiling. Most of the time, she would wake up to soaked goodnites, it was a pleasant change to actually wake up before wetting. Perhaps it was a sign of good things to come.

She cheerfully strolled to the bathroom before remembering her pajamas. She swore.

“I’ll never get used to these stupid pajamas,” she muttered as she grabbed a change of clothes before sprinting up the stairs.

She found Aunt Mira in the kitchen. Deciding she was as good as anybody, she approached her.

“Aunt Mira? Can you…” Lizzie asked.

“One moment Lizzie, I’m on a very important phone call.”

“Yes, sorry, where were we? Ah yes, tomorrow works.”

Lizzie waited, thinking her aunt would finish the call quickly, however, she continued to chat casually with the person on the phone. Meanwhile, Lizzie shifted around from foot to foot.

Her aunt finally hung up the phone, and not a minute too soon, she was about to burst. “Aunt Mira, could you unzip me, I really need to pee.”

“Thanks for waiting, and sure.” But as Lizzie was turning around, her aunt continued, “wait a minute, Lizzie, what happened to your mittens?”

“Huh?” Lizzie asked, before realizing her bare hands. “Shit,” she swore under her breath. She’d completely forgotten to put them back on after gaming.

“Firstly, watch your language young lady. Secondly, I think I made myself explicitly clear that you were not to take off your mittens without permission. I understand they aren’t the most secure, but you’re not about to tell me they just slipped off by themselves, right?”

Lizzie simply looked down, shifting from foot to foot as Mira continued to scold her both for her swearing and the mittens.

The pressure in her stomach continued to build, but she knew better than to interrupt her aunt’s lecture. She began twiddling her thumbs, nodding to whatever her aunt was saying.

“Are you even listening?” Aunt Mira asked.

Lizzie nodded.

“Then repeat what I just said.”

“I…” Lizzie blanked.

That didn’t bode well with her aunt, and she began lecturing all over again, much to Lizzie’s frustration.

As the ranting continued, Lizzie could feel her bladder beginning to fail, she couldn’t hold it any longer.

With a small sigh, she gave up, and her pee began to trickle out. The small stream soon turned into a larger one, as Lizzie felt the warmth seep around her. Her stomach fell, as her gross urine snaked around her in a mocking embrace.

“… Alright, I’ll definitely be talking to your parents, and you’ll be wearing the mittens again tonight. But I should let you go so you can use the bathroom first,” Mira said, moving to unzip her.

“Thanks,” Lizzie said, trying her best to hold her voice.

“Wow, your diaper looks pretty full from last night already,” Mira commented as she pulled the zipper down all the way.

“No, it’s—“ Lizzie bit her tongue. “Nevermind,” she said, before rushing to the bathroom.

As Lizzie sat on the toilet lid, she felt her vision blur. She wiped eyes, her hand coming back slightly wet.

Why am I crying? she wondered. There was no logical reason but regardless, the tears continued to streaming out of her eyes.

I should be angry!

It was all Aunt Mira’s fault that she didn’t make it in time. It was all because of these stupid pajamas and mittens. It was all her cousins’ fault for teasing her and making her conscious about them in the first place.

These were all true, yet the anger she felt was trounced by a nagging thought:

A non-bedwetter would’ve known they needed to go earlier and made it to the toilet in time.

And it was this thought that made her want to scream and shout into the void. Yell at the gods who had plagued her life with this problem that was beyond her control.

Why?!

The scream sent another wave of tears streaming down her swollen cheeks.

Lizzie didn’t know how long the sobbing continued. But when she finally came to, she found herself curled up on the toilet.

She lowered her legs, resting her face in her hands as she wiped the remaining tears. The sleeves of her sleeper were drenched, the cold pressing against her face.

The bathroom was still. And Lizzie let herself sit in the isolated silence. An odd calmness washed through her in the silence.

Her peace was short-lived, as a call for breakfast came from the other side of the door.

Lizzie got up, finally peeling the horrid diaper from her body and dragging herself into the shower.

Yet the hot water brought her little comfort as she felt an icy realization spreading through her.

If they didn’t want to play nice, then she wouldn’t either. She would drown them out. She didn’t need them, none of them understood her anyways.

She walked out of the shower, bumping into Calvin in the hallway.

“Didn’t you already shower last night?”

Lizzie didn’t even dignify the question with a response, instead bumping him out of the way.

“What’s your problem?” He stopped, but Lizzie kept going. She was beyond caring.

Downstairs, she grabbed her breakfast, but instead of sitting with her family, she took her plate downstairs to eat alone.

Alone, there was no one to tease her, no one to yell at her, no one to taunt her. And right now, Lizzie needed that peace.

She spent the rest of the day by herself, declining any requests to play from the other children. Instead she read her books and played on her Switch alone. She chatted with Madison and Ivie, desperately wishing she could hang out with them instead.

Her parents tried talking to her, but Lizzie gave them the cold shoulder as well.

When she took her dinner away from the table as well, she could hear the whispers from the adults. They could talk all they wanted, she no longer cared.

That night, she let her mom dress her in the sleeper without a word. She didn’t complain that it was an hour before her bedtime. And not even when she checked her diaper. She felt too exhausted to care.

Her mom stared at her in silence as she zipped her up and secured the tab.

“What?” Lizzie asked. The ice in her voice didn’t seem to scare her mom, instead, she only gave her a soft look.

“It’s nothing.” Was it regret? Sadness? Pity?

Lizzie considered prodding her, forcing her to spill the beans, but reminded herself of her commitment. She held up her hands, waiting for the mittens.

“I talked to your aunt, you don’t need to wear them tonight. I know—“

“Are we done then?” Lizzie cut her off. “I’m tired. I want to go to sleep,” she said, looking away.

“Okay then,” her mom said quietly, “good night.”

Lizzie turned.

“Wait.” Her mom’s voice stopped her. “I love you, Lizzie.” Lizzie felt her mom’s arms wrap around her.

But Lizzie forced her body to stay rigid, refusing the warmth. After a few seconds, her mom let go, and Lizzie walked away without looking back.

She didn’t even bother to say good night to any of the others. She just tucked herself in and closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

***

The next day was more of the same. Her father, Aunt Jenny, and even Uncle Samuel all tried to talk to her, but Lizzie ignored them all.

The coldness was beginning to weigh on them. Lizzie could see it in their sad eyes and hear it in their quiet voices. She was glad, hoping they could feel just a fraction of the iciness she felt in her heart.

Time dragged on. Lizzie had already finished most of her books, and all of her single-player Switch games were beginning to feel repetitive. Even TikTok was beginning to bore her. But still, she held her resolve.

It was lunch on the third day, Lizzie was in her now-usual dining place downstairs when there was a knock on the door. She ignored it.

There was another set of knocks. She ignored it again.

“Go away!” Lizzie said after the third set of knocks.

Satisfied when the knocking stopped, she continued watching Netflix on her phone. She’d found a new show, it’d be enough to tide her over until she got back.

She yawned, blinking a few times as she checked the time. It’d been hours since lunch. She decided to bring her long-empty plate back to the kitchen, and get some snacks for the afternoon.

As she opened the door, she felt something fall onto her legs. Lizzie leapt back, her plate nearly slipping out of her hands in the process.

“Lizzie?” The slurred speech came from the bundle on the floor.

“Alice? What are you doing?” Lizzie asked despite herself.

“I feel… cold…” Alice said.

Lizzie looked down, noticing a dark patch on Alice’s pants. A small puddle outside the door confirmed her suspicions.

“Alice, you wet,” Lizzie said, “we need to get you changed, can you walk?” Lizzie looked around, but no one else was nearby.

Alice shook her head, her squinting against the light.

Lizzie sighed, picking the girl up in her arms, she carried her to the bathroom. She stripped her, throwing her dirtied clothes into the sink and placing her in the shower.

After a quick rinse, Lizzie wrapped her in a towel before getting a change of clothes from her room. The entire time, Alice sat quietly.

“There you go,” Lizzie said, helping Alice into her shirt. “What happened?”

“I… I was waiting for you, but you told me to go away, but… but I really wanted to play with you, so I waited outside the door. I waited and waited and waited and… I’m sorry…” Alice barely finished before the tears began to fall.

“Oh no no no, Alice, it’s not your fault. I should be the one that’s sorry. I didn’t know you were waiting for me.” Lizzie patted the little girl.

“But I peed myself,” Alice continued to sob.

“That’s not your fault either, you didn’t do it on purpose, it was an accident.” Lizzie pulled the little girl close, feeling her tiny hands grasping around her sides. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, okay? You’re only five, accidents happen.” She rested Alice’s head on her chest, and gently combed her hair.

She let the girl continue to sob, wiping her tears onto her sleeve as she went. Her breathing eventually slowed, but Lizzie continued to hold her for a few more minutes.

When Lizzie was confident the little girl was stable, she left her to freshen up, as Lizzie headed back to the room with some Bounty and cleaning supplies she’d found in the kitchen.

When she returned, Alice still looked a bit shaken, but managed to flash her a small smile.

Lizzie couldn’t help but smile back, and she brought Alice back to her room and they sat on the bed.

“What about the floor?” Alice said.

“Don’t worry, I took care of it.”

“Thanks Lizzie, you’re the best.”

“Anytime.” Lizzie smiled. “Now why did you want to wait for me? You could’ve played with the other kids or adults.”

“It’s not the same.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you’re not there, Noah and Calvin are always arguing, Lucas can’t join in, and then Charlotte goes off and does her own thing… It’s not as fun when you’re not around.”

“Oh Alice,” Lizzie wrapped her arms around the little girl, squeezing her like a teddy bear.

“Lizzie? I can’t breathe,” the little girl gasped out.

“Sorry!” Lizzie let go, blushing. “Anyways, what do you say we go get the gang together and play some games?”

“Yeah!”

After an afternoon of games, and a delicious dinner at a steakhouse, the family ended the day watching the new Marvel movie.

The car ride had been filled with chatter, adults and kids alike discussing the epic movie.

Back at home, Lizzie was getting ready for bed, exhausted after the long day. But she had had fun. More fun than she’d had in the past few days combined.

Whether it was playing games, eating food, or watching a movie, it was so much more fun with everyone together.

As she put on her diaper and changed into her all-too-familiar Rosalina sleeper, Lizzie sighed.

For one reason or another, none of her cousins had dared to comment on her diaper or sleeper that night. Lucky for them, as Lizzie didn’t even know what she would’ve done had they irked her the wrong way.

Perhaps it was because of her scary demeanor, or perhaps it was because of Aunt Mira’s warnings. But Lizzie believed it was because it was no longer novel.

It had become so normal that it was no longer worth noting. And for that, Lizzie sighed. She still hated the sleeper, and still hated the diaper, yet even she’d grown accustomed to it over the week.

At least they would be going home soon. Without the teasing, she could bare with it for two more nights.

***

Lizzie awoke late on New Year's Eve. Everyone was already finishing breakfast, but her parents had saved her a plate.

She sat down to eat at the table, which seemed to surprise her mother, who was still sipping her coffee.

“What?” Lizzie prodded.

“Nothing. Did you need anything?”

After a silence, Lizzie asked, “Did you and dad want to go shopping or something?”

“Oh, I’d love to, but I don’t think your dad can. He was up late last night responding to some urgent customers. I think it’s best we let him rest.”

“But I thought we were on vacation.”

“Oh my sweet summer child,” Uncle Joseph said, swinging by with his mug. “Customers don’t give two hoots about your vacations or holidays. It’s honestly amazing how your father juggles everything as it is.”

Lizzie frowned, was her dad that busy? She knew he worked some late nights, but that was because the company operated overseas. Sure, he occasionally had business trips, but it seemed like he always still had time to hang out with her and her mom.

“Okay then,” Lizzie said, excusing herself from the table.

“But let’s take a rain-check, okay? We can go shopping when we get back. Maybe even go to that Italian place you like…”

“Ricci’s?”

“Yes that one!”

“And the arcade after too!”

“Alright, deal.” Her mom smiled. And Lizzie found herself smiling back.

***

After lunch, the kids prepared to head to the park for another round of snowy fun. Lizzie was about to step out the door when her mom stopped her.

“Didn’t your aunt give you a pair of snow pants?” she asked.

Lizzie was about to state the obvious, but suddenly remembered that the others didn’t know about the zipper.

“But they’re a bit too small, can’t I just wear these?” Lizzie said, pointing to her jeans.

“No, they’ll get all wet and we can’t risk you catching a cold right before school starts again! And besides, you were wearing them fine the other day tobogganing, right? If you’re afraid they’ll be uncomfortable later, you can bring a change of clothes.”

Lizzie sighed, knowing her mom wasn’t going to back down.

Fortunately, Lizzie discovered a solution. One of her coats had an internal pocket, so she kept the key with her the entire time.

The way she saw it, knowing she could unlock the zipper at any time meant it was effectively a normal zipper, and Lizzie had no complaints while enjoying the afternoon in the snow. Of course, she’d brought along a change of clothes, and quickly changed out of them in the bathroom before leaving.

After dinner, rather than head home, the families decided to go see the fireworks. Aunt Mira said she knew a great hidden spot that wouldn’t have too many people, so the families headed out for a drive.

They parked on a mountain. The surroundings were covered in snow. Jennifer made Lizzie change back into her boots and snowpants. Lizzie argued, but her mom was adamant, pointing out that the snow was everywhere.

They set foot on a trail. Aunt Mira explained that there was a clearing at the end where they’d have an undisturbed view of the fireworks.

However, as they walked, the others kept falling behind. Especially Lucas, who had decided he wanted to sit in his stroller. Lizzie grumbled, having to stop every few minutes for the others to catch up.

“Tag, you’re it!” Before Lizzie could react, Calvin was already sprinting down the path. Lizzie ran after him, ignoring the calls from behind her.

“Come back here!” Lizzie yelled. As she sprinted, she could feel the overalls pulling tight around her. The shoulder straps tugging the entire outfit upwards with each step.

Despite this, Lizzie was gaining ground, Calvin just a few feet in front her her, she reached out, about to grab him…

Everything happened so fast. One second she was about to touch Calvin, the next second she was on the floor, her face mushed against the icy snow.

“Are you okay?” Calvin exclaimed, turning around.

“I’m fine,” Lizzie said, pulling herself together. However, as she tried to stand up, a searing pain shot through her ankle, causing her to fall over again.

“Lizzie? What happened?” Philip had rushed over and was now bending down beside her. Jennifer ran over as well, repeating Philip’s question.

“I’m fine,” she repeated. But as she tried to get up, her father held her down firmly.

“One second, let me take a look,” Philip said, rolling up her pant leg. He applied some pressure, causing Lizzie to wince.

“Yeah, you’re definitely not fine. It’s sprained, although it doesn’t seem too bad.” He said, gently helping her up.

“What did we tell you about running?” Jennifer chided.

“I—!” Lizzie was interrupted by the pain in her foot.

“Careful!” Philip said. “You can’t put any pressure on it. Here, hold onto me and push on me instead of your foot.”

Lizzie limped along with her dad, but could only take small measured steps.

“Maybe we should just take her back,” Jennifer suggested.

“No! I want to see the fireworks!” Lizzie said.

“The sprain isn’t too bad, but at this pace, we won’t make the fireworks.”

“Maybe we should head back instead,” her mom suggested.

“What’s going on?” A voice called from behind. It was Aunt Jenny and Grant, along with Lucas.

Jennifer explained the situation.

“Why don’t you ride with Lucas?” Grant suggested, pointing to the stroller.

“Won’t it be too difficult to push in the snow?” her father asked.

“There’s only a slight slope. I think with two of us pushing, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Eyes turned to Lizzie. Her instincts told her to say no, but the throbbing in her ankle reminded her this was her only reasonable option.

“I guess,” Lizzie said, shrugging. The answer seemed to come at a surprise to the adults, but she really didn’t feel like waiting in the car. Also, she didn’t mind taking a little break, the long day having already begun to wear into her.

“Let’s get you seated then, I’m sure Lucas would enjoy the company too,” Jenny said, working with Philip to guide Lizzie over.

She then cleared the seat, revealing what looked like a vest, hanging limply.

“Do I really need to be buckled in?” Lizzie asked as her aunt worked on unfastening the clips.

“I’m afraid so,” Jenny said, “we can’t risk you falling out if we were to come to a sudden stop. But if you promise not to kick I can leave the feet clips off,” she said with a wink.

Her aunt guided her to her seat, motioning for her to stretch her arms through the vest.

The two sides of the vest were buckled together with two sets of straps, one across her chest and another across her stomach.

Jenny then reached underneath Lizzie and pulled out a crotch piece. It was a wide triangle, which secured to the rest of the vest with one buckle on each side.

During the process, Lucas tried to shift around to observe what was going on, however, Lizzie could tell the vest was keeping his movement quite limited.

Jenny then tightened down the vest to fit her, first on either side, then on both shoulders. Once she was done, Lizzie felt the vest giving her a tight hug. She shifted in her seat, but the vest had little give.

“You feeling okay?” Jenny asked, probably noticing her struggles.

“Yeah, everything’s good,” Lizzie gave her a thumbs up.

With that, the family resumed the hike.

“Nice ride,” Calvin said, giving her a smirk as they caught up.

“Oh shut up, this is your fault.”

“Kids…” Aunt Mira’s single word was enough to silence the argument.

The other kids continued to stare for a bit, but none of them said as much as a word under Aunt Mira’s watchful eye. They quickly lost interest, instead reverting to their normal chatter.

Unfortunately, Lizzie’s position in the stroller meant her view was mostly blocked by Lucas. She could look out the sides, but the stroller seat curved around, meaning Lizzie had to lean forward and into the vest if she wanted to look out either side.

This proved difficult and tiring, so she resided herself to sitting back and investigate the stroller instead.

Similar to the car seat, the stroller was well padded, its soft cushions making Lizzie feel like she was resting on pillows.

The vest itself was tight, but not uncomfortable. It was lightly padded on the interior, and since it wrapped around her entire body, it distributed the pressure better than straps.

Investigating further, Lizzie realized the vest itself consisted of three pieces. The back, which was mostly secured to the back of the seat itself, and the two pieces in the front.

The back piece extended underneath her to the crotch piece that was secured in front. The front pieces were secured to the back with a series of eight straps. One over each shoulder, two on either side of her torso and two from the crotch piece.

The straps each had their own adjusting buckle, which allowed the vest to accommodate a variety of sizes.

The straps from the sides also came around and fastened in the middle, joining the two front pieces such that they overlapped slightly, completing the vest.

Lizzie examined the buckles. She hadn’t thought much earlier, but now she suspected they were probably locking ones like the car seat.

Her suspicions were soon confirmed when the buckles didn’t allow her to press down. Lizzie frowned, repeating again to be sure.

Thankfully, Noah came by, and began telling her about some new Smash strategies he’d found online.

“Catch!” Lizzie hardly had time to react to Calvin’s cry before a snowball smashed into Noah’s back.

“You little…” Noah said, chasing after him as Calvin sped away. The parents tried to stop them, but the twins ran around the corner. Alice chased after them, screaming just for the fun of it. Uncle Samuel shook his head, calling out and jogging after them.

Instinctively, she sat up, only to be pulled back down to her seat. Lizzie looked at the snow only inches below her feet. Oh how she wished she could grab a handful and join in on the fun.

She reached out for it, pushing hard against the straps. But the vest did its job, hardly allowing her an inch of movement.

Despite it all working as expected, Lizzie felt as if the vest was suddenly felt tighter around her body. Her hands fell onto the buckles, working unsuccessfully to loosen them.

“You okay there?” Grant’s voice caused her head to jolt up. Seeing her uncle’s chin, she realized he had a perfect view of her squirming. “Is the vest too tight?”

Lizzie shook her head, sinking back into the seat as she felt herself flush.

“We’re almost there kiddo, just sit tight,” Philip said with a chuckle, which Lizzie responded with a dramatic eye roll.

They eventually arrived at the clearing, where a few other families were gathered. She tucked herself into the stroller, pulling her hood tight over her head.

Grant and Philip pushed the stroller near the edge as Lizzie strained against the seat, looking out into the night sky.

Staring down from the mountaintop, the cityscape was peaceful. The houses below, still blanketed by yesterday’s snow, were but tiny specks in the distance, stretching out until a river that sliced the city in half. On the other side, the riverbank was lined with skyscrapers, their yellow lights mirroring the twinkling stars in the cloudless sky.

Amongst the other buildings, Reysen Tower stood tall above the rest. Lizzie leaned forward, eager to see the fireworks.

“Let me unbuckle you.” Jenny knelt by Lucas while Grant helped Lizzie, and soon the two joined the other kids by the railing.

Before long, the countdown began. “Ten, Nine… Eight…” As they counted, rings of red light began cascading out from the tower.

“Three… Two… One… Happy New Year!” everyone screamed as the night sky exploded in a rainbow of colors. Circles of orange, streaks of green, and showers of blue rain illuminated the sky in a series of explosions.

A series of pops could be heard seconds later. A purple spiral, a yellow snowflake, and a silver willow soon followed, as the kids and adults alike stared at the display in awe.

Lizzie tried to capture it on her phone, but soon realized the camera couldn’t do the scene justice. She put it away, hoping instead to record as much of the magnificent show with her eyes as possible.

The final lights came too soon. There was some applause and cheering from the gathered folks before people began to stream out, and the city fell back into a peaceful silence. The night wind graced her face as she stared into the horizon. In that moment, she felt free, as if nothing else in life mattered.

“Lizzie, it’s time to go back for bed.” The voice shattering her peace. She turned to see Alice, and even Charlotte yawning.

“I’m not tired,” Lizzie lied, wanting to stay just a while longer, but was betrayed by her own body as a yawn escaped her lips.

“Alright, we know you’re a big girl, but the rest of the kids are tired, so let’s go home and let everyone rest, okay?”

Lizzie didn’t exactly appreciate the demeaning tone, but let herself get guided back to the stroller. In truth, she was beyond tired, as it had been a long day and it was now well after her usual bedtime.

“Here, if you want to rest, you can lean against this,” Jenny said as she fiddled with the headrest. It folded out either side, forming a U-shaped pillow that allowed Lizzie to lean into.

“What, that’s no fair!” Calvin complained.

“Oh now you’re jealous? Too bad, I already called dibs.” Lizzie stuck out her tongue. “Thanks,” she said to Jenny, deciding that she could use a short nap. She rested her head against soft support and closed her eyes.

***

Lizzie smiled, lying on the beach at the edge of the water, allowing the tides to glide up and down her legs.

The sun covered her body in a warm embrace as she rested, listening to the crashing of waves as the gulls squawked in the distance.

Lizzie kept her eyes shut as she awoke from her dream. She smiled, still feeling the summer warmth around her body. After the chilly winter days, it felt nice.

But as her mind’s haze began to fade, the warmth didn’t. And more concerning was the fact that the warmth seemed to center around her groin.

Fuck.

The thought shot through her as she jolted awake in cold sweat. Where was she? The stroller? The car?

Her eyes fluttered open, fearing the worst. She looked around, her thumping head a daze, as she slowly realized she was back in bed.

Lizzie’s hands shot to the mattress. Relief cascaded through her as she found her surroundings dry.

For once thankful to have her protection, Lizzie rolled out of bed. Walking to the bathroom, she noticed there were bandages wrapped around her ankle. It was feeling a lot better, and she could walk as long as she didn’t put too much pressure on it.

In the bathroom, she quickly took off her pajama bottoms. The diaper soon fell into the trash as she began the process of cleaning herself.

As she showered, Lizzie suddenly became aware that the discarded pajamas wasn’t her Rosalina sleeper. Instead, it had been her red pair with the black cats.

In fact, she realized she not only couldn’t recall changing into them last night, she couldn’t even remember making it to the car.

Had her parents changed her? She pictured her mother removing her snow suit, stripping her down and wrapping her in a diaper before dressing her in her pajamas.

She wrapped her arms around herself, covering her body as she stood alone in the shower.

A grown teen being changed by her parents! She could feel a heat rising within. Her anger only continued to grow as she quickly dried and dressed herself, before storming up to her parents room.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Lizzie asked, blurting out before the door had even fully swung open.

“Hmm?” Her parents groaned as they rubbed their eyes.

“Who said you could just change me like that?” Lizzie demanded.

“Change what?” Philip asked, sitting up. Lizzie could see his weary eyes despite the dim light.

“Last night, when we got home. You guys changed me! I woke up wearing my pajamas and a diaper.”

“Lizzie, why don’t we all just take a deep—” Philip started.

“No! Don’t tell me to calm down! You shouldn’t have changed me while I was asleep without my permission!”

“Lizzie, we—“

“You what? What excuse could you possibly have? You don’t think I’m old enough to do it myself? Why do you both always treat me like a baby?! You always—”

“You asked us to!”

“What?” Lizzie eventually asked.

“Lizzie, it’s what we’ve been trying to tell you.” Philip moved to the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her, guiding her to sit down beside him. “You were passed out after the fireworks, even on the car you were sleeping like a rock. When we got home, we tried to wake you up and get you changed, but once we did, you told us to do it for you. Pleaded even.”

“We were quite surprised actually, in fact, we asked you twice to be sure. You could hardly walk, so your father carried you to the bathroom where I quickly changed you before bringing you back to bed.”

“I… I thought…” Lizzie stuttered as she processed the information. “I’m sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“It’s okay.” Her dad gave her a hug. And after a second, her mom joined in as well.

“We don’t think of you as a baby, Lizzie. We know you’re a smart thirteen-year-old. You’re old enough to do many things, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy taking care of you once in a while, okay?”

Lizzie just nodded at her mom’s statement, letting herself linger in the embrace for a few more seconds before slowly peeling herself away. She stood up, prepared to head down for breakfast.

“Lizzie, how’s your ankle feeling?”

“A lot better, I can walk and probably jog lightly if I wanted to.”

“Alright, it didn’t look too bad, so that’s good to hear. But keep it slow, you don’t want to hurt it again, and let me wrap it for you again before we leave.” Lizzie nodded in response.

“Oh, and one more thing, we wanted to discuss something for the trip back,” Jennifer said. Lizzie shot her a quizzical look, beckoning her to continue. “I’ll be straight, we’d like you to wear a diaper on the car ride back”.

“Or a goodnite,” Philip cut in, casting a glance toward Jennifer.

“Or a goodnite.” She nodded.

“But I never wet on the car!”

“Of course we know that sweetie. We’re not worried about you falling asleep and having an accident. But on the car ride here, you needed to use the restroom every hour or so. Your father has some urgent work to wrap-up before some meetings tomorrow, and he hasn’t been able to get enough sleep recently. We’re already planning on leaving before lunch to help, but we can’t afford to stop so frequently on the way back.”

“But…”

“The goodnite is not a punishment. And it’s not because we don’t trust you. If you can hold out for our regular stops, then of course you don’t have to use it. It’s only for our peace of mind. Besides, if you want to nap on the car, wouldn’t it be reassuring for you too?”

“I…”

“And only Lucas will be on the car. He will also be wearing protection, and no one else will know so no one will tease you for it, okay?”

Lizzie tried to form an argument. She should be angry, furious even, at the suggestion. Yet, the more she thought about it, the more she had to admit her parents had a point.

What would the responsible person do?

Would they throw a tantrum here? Or would they listen but be treated like a baby?

She looked up at her parents. Her dad looked at her, despite the dark circles, his eyes sparkled faintly at her. Her mom stared keenly, lips pursed together, neither smiling nor frowning.

No, she wasn’t being treated like a baby, in fact it was just the opposite, her parents were treating her like an adult, discussing with her and listing out their reasons rather than demanding anything from her.

“Fine.” She eventually said, making sure to emphasize her discontent with an eye roll. But seeing the relief in their smiles made her happy. “But just this once!” she quickly added.

“Of course,” they said, both leaning in for a hug. Lizzie sighed loudly to show she only tolerated their embrace, but she secretly smiled and didn’t struggle to move away. They enjoyed the moment until a loud growl emanated from her stomach.

“Someone’s hungry! Let’s go get breakfast, we gotta pack up and head out soon,” Philip said, picking himself up off the bed.

After a scrumptious breakfast, Lizzie quickly worked to pack her things. Her books, toys, and Switch were quickly sorted. As she folded her clothes, she made sure to decide on an outfit for the ride home.

She looked around, most of her prettier clothes had been worn throughout the trip and she hadn’t had a chance to wash them yet. So as she looked around, Lizzie realized she was left with only a few mismatched items.

As she sifted through them, her pajamas caught her eye. She’d bought several sets, but hadn’t had a chance to use them.

She picked out a pair, deciding it would be comfier to wear on the long ride and would be soft to sleep in. And she could just cover herself with her jacket if they stopped for meals along the way. She sorted the set off to the side, along with a pair of goodnites, before folding the remainder of her clothes.

When she reached her Rosalina sleeper, she thought back on the week. How troublesome the simple gift had become. Part of her wanted to secretly throw it away, out of sight and never to be seen again.

But her more rational side realized that even without the gift, her aunt probably would’ve just gotten an old pair from Lucas’s donation clothes instead.

And besides, apart from the annoying zipper, the sleeper itself was great. It was cute and cozy, and she’d slept well wearing it. As she folded the garment into her luggage, Lizzie made a mental note to check if the brand made any two-piece sets or front zipping ones.

The mittens on the other hand served only to be annoying, but Lizzie still tucked them in with the sleeper.

The final piece was her snow pants. The garment had kept her warm and cozy out in the snow. It had been a nice addition, and while it was too childish to wear in front of classmates, Lizzie could see herself wearing it when hanging out with family. Of course, she’d have to make sure to keep the key with her at all times.

Finally, Lizzie changed into her outfit. Carefully putting on her pants, making sure they kept her goodnite safely tucked, before donning her coat and heading to join the others at the front.

There, many hugs were exchanged as the families said their goodbyes. Alice gave her the tightest hug, her eyes moist when she eventually let go. “I’ll miss you!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll meet again soon, okay? We still have so many games to play.”

“Pinky promise?” Alice sniffled.

“Pinky promise,” Lizzie said.

“And next time, I’m taking the crown,” Noah said.

“Good luck with that.” Lizzie gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.

Even Charlotte reached out for a hug, albeit only because her mom had practically pushed her onto Lizzie. The two met in an awkward embrace, and Lizzie was beginning to peel away when Charlotte spoke.

“I’m honestly sorry about the pranks and the teasing,” her voice was hardly a whisper.

“Uhh, thanks,” Lizzie responded, caught off guard by the sudden apology. Charlotte’s face gave little away as she turned to leave. Lizzie shrugged, unable to read the girl’s intentions.

With that, Lucas and Lizzie’s family hopped onto the car and headed out. The journey back was mundane and slow. The parents complained about the New Year’s traffic, but Lizzie relaxed in the back, alternating between her books, phone, and Switch. And when she got bored of all of those, she stared out the window.

Her goodnite was still dry when they stopped for lunch, where they had a quick dine in at a Wendy’s. In fact, Lizzie only remembered she’d even been wearing it when she went to the restroom.

But it was only a few hours into the afternoon where things began to go wrong. Lizzie had spent the past hour trying to perfect a new combo when the low battery indicator appeared on her Switch.

Lizzie sighed, digging through her backpack for her charger and power bank. But after a few minutes, she remembered she’d put them in another bag.

Lizzie sat up in her seat, looking back, she could see her blue bag right behind Lucas’s seat. She considered asking him, but the boy was soundly asleep, and besides, strapped into his harness, Lizzie doubted he could even reach it.

So instead, she lunged for it, stretching across the middle seat, her fingers grasping at the handle. She just needed a few more inches.

With one hand, she loosened her seatbelt, leaning right beside Lucas’s shoulder as her fingers wrapped around the handle.

Success! She thought, as she tugged on it. But the bag wouldn’t budge. Realizing it was stuck, she began tugging harder.

“Elizabeth, what do you think you’re doing?” Lizzie jumped at the sound, bumping her head into the roof.

Her mom’s voice caused everyone in the car to turn around, as Lizzie froze in place. Her legs were drawn up in her seat in a half kneel as she laid outstretched over the back, the seatbelt loosely hanging around her legs.

“I…” she said sheepishly as she scrambled to sit back down.

“Care to explain yourself?” Jennifer’s question sent a shiver down her spine. It was the same calm, monotone voice her mom only used when she was furious. Lizzie remained silent, afraid to speak. “Alright, I see how it is. Grant, could you pull over please?”

Lizzie sat paralyzed in her seat as her mom pulled Aunt Jenny to the back of the car. When they returned, Lizzie looked up to see a bundle of straps.

“No,” Lizzie said, immediately recognizing the harness.

“Lizzie, we’ve been over this one too many times. You know the rules. We tried to talk to you, reason with you, and trust in you. Yet time and time again, you refuse to learn your lesson, so you leave me with no other choice. Now let your aunt put it on you so we can get back on the road before you delay us further.”

Lizzie looked at Philip, who only shook his head with a small sigh. Grant too looked away. This left only her aunt, which Lizzie turned to next, pleading for her sympathy.

However, today, Jenny’s face bore no compassion for her. “Your mom’s right you know,” she said quietly, much to Lizzie’s dismay. “It’s super dangerous to remove your seatbelt in the car, let alone while we’re on the freeway. This isn’t your first time either, Lizzie. I’m all for trying new things, but jeopardizing your own safety isn’t one of them.”

When Lizzie didn’t respond, she moved to wrap the harness around her, and Lizzie didn’t bother stopping her. This wasn’t the time to argue. The straps soon tightened around her, and Lizzie felt herself guided back to the seat.

Her head continued to hang in shame as the seat tethers secured to the four corners of the harness.

“There. And I better not see you trying to release yourself, unless you want the wrist straps too. Am I understood?”

Lizzie nodded.

“Am I understood?” her mom repeated.

“Yes mom,” Lizzie said, her lips quivering as she spoke. Eventually, they sat back down, and Lizzie wiped the tears away with her sleeve.

As the car returned to the road, Lizzie realized her charger was still in the back. Adding insult to injury.

She played on her phone, trying to get her mind off things, but having not charged it the night before, it too was soon low on power.

Even her books couldn’t keep her immersed, as the scene kept replaying in her head. Her mom’s voice, her dad’s sigh, a complete 180 from that morning. They had been willing to treat her like an adult and she’d blown it. Again. All because of some stupid rule.

But why did she break it?

It happened so naturally. She’d broken it without a second thought. Had she really forgotten? Or did she not care?

Why couldn’t she just do as she was told? Why couldn’t she just be an adult? Lizzie tugged at her hair.

The car rolled to a stop, causing the straps to pull tight as Lizzie leaned forward.

Her thoughts drifted to that night.

“… like a little baby.” Charlotte’s snickering echoed in her mind.

She twisted in her seat, feeling the strict embrace of the straps around her. The two between her legs rubbing against her goodnite as Lizzie bit her lip. This was her punishment.

Just like the diaper and the sleeper, she was always reprimanded like a little baby who didn’t know any better.

She hated it. Losing control over herself.

Scenes of her bedwetting flashed through her mind: all of the times she’d woken up wet, her parents’ disapproving sighs as they changed yet another wet mattress, and the nightmares of her classmates finding out.

Ew, you need diapers? Aren’t you like thirteen? A morphed voice echoed in her head.

She’s such a baby. Another voice said.

I’m not a baby! The scream reverberated in her mind.

“Lizzie, are you alright?”

She froze, looking up to see Jenny looking back at her with a frown. Realizing her hand was tugging at the straps, she quickly dropped it.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, picking up her book. She forced herself to take deep breaths as she coaxed her heart to calm down.

Behind her book, she shut her eyes as she resisted the urge to shout out in agony. Willing for herself to be back at home, where everything would be back to normal.

Alas, it was not to be, and when she opened her eyes, she was still sitting in the car. Lucas was still playing with his alligator and the parents were quietly chatting.

As they trudged along in the afternoon traffic, Lizzie began feeling a storm brewing in her stomach.

“No, no, no… Not now,” Lizzie whispered to herself as she twisted in her seat. The straps between her legs dug into her goodnite, rubbing it against her body.

A grunt escaped her lips, but couldn’t stop herself from squirming as the pressure continued to build.

The chatter from the others faded into the background as she focused all of her attention at keeping the gate shut. She began sweating from the heat as she continued to fidget in her seat.

She shut her eyes, her hands clutching on the harness.

She couldn’t, not now. She begged with herself as her breathing grew short.

“Alright, break time,” Grant’s voice called out. “We got ten minutes to refill before we got to get back on the road. Anyone need to use the restroom?”

Lizzie leapt out her seat, or at least, she would have, had the harness not pulled her back. She strained to hold it in as her aunt worked to unbuckle her.

She was out the door as soon as the harness was released, shuffling over to the toilet with her hands between her legs.

She sighed, letting out the breath she’d inadvertently been holding, as she emptied her stress into the toilet.

As her breathing returned to normal, she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She whisked it away, confused as to why she was crying. Regardless, she was happy she’d made it, not even wanting to imagine what it would’ve been like if she hadn’t.

When she returned to the car, her father came to sit down beside her. “Lizzie, have you learned your lesson? Or do you still need the harness for the ride back?”

“I… I learned my lesson,” she replied quietly, looking at the ground.

“Okay then, you don’t have to wear the harness anymore, but don’t let us catch you unbuckling yourself ever again, got it?”

Lizzie nodded.

“Okay then soldier. Now, before we start, did you need anything from the back?”

“My charger!” Lizzie exclaimed, thankful for the reminder, but kicking herself for needing it.

The rest of the journey was thankfully uneventful, and when they arrived home, Lizzie barely managed to carry her luggage back to her room before collapsing onto the bed.

It had been a long and eventful vacation, one she would undoubtedly spend the next few days writing about. But now, as she closed her eyes, Lizzie was just glad that it was all over.