Of course, that isn't to say I still had my moments of slipping into adult-style embarrassment. Every now and then, someone would comment on our lack of clothes, and I would find myself covering up again.
But Dylan's presence took away a lot of the sting; he could slide perfectly and effortlessly into the toddler role, and had a near-magical knack for laughing things off. With him around, it was hard to think about anything more than the next adventure.
But of course, it couldn't last forever. Even toddlers have a limited reserve of energy, and we were feeling pretty exhausted after hours of tearing around the mall at top speed.
We wandered up to the Banana Republic, where my mom was supposedly waiting. Oddly enough, she wasn't there. Was this some sort of cruel prank by Seryth? I was on the verge of starting to cry when suddenly two hands came down and lightly bopped Dylan and I on our heads.
"Boo!"
It was Mom, of course--but that didn't register until after we'd lost control of our wee-wee. The sheer surprise of the act made us both shoot out a healthy stream of pee right out onto the tiled floor like a synchronized sprinkler. Mom noticed this, but just patiently rubbed our heads as we emptied our bladders for a few seconds.
A janitor with a heavy-duty automatic mop scrubber passed by with comically improbable timing, almost instantly removing any trace of the accident.
"I was wondering when I'd find you little rugrats," said Mom. "Goodness, you guys just don't like clothes, do you? At the mall, at the park, the beach, parties...oh well. Not like I mind seeing your booties so often. Anyway, I bet you guys are ready to get going. Right?"
We nodded eagerly. I couldn't wait to see my childhood home again--would my room look the same? And what was Dylan's role in this new reality? A close friend? A brother? I had no idea, but I got the impression we'd be hanging out a lot.
Mom set down the diaper bag, unzipped it, and produced two diapers and assorted changing supplies. The diapers were white, plastic-coated Huggies with bright cartoon tape designs. I grinned at this--the nostalgia was washing over me again.
Mom gently picked us up and laid us down on the floor. We were out of the way of the entrance, but incredibly exposed to passersby. It made my heart race that this was actually happening. I had genuinely been transformed into a little toddler, and now I was about to be diapered in front of dozens of strangers.
Mom started with Dylan. She started off by rubbing him down all over with lotion, kneading it into his skin with expert care and tenderness. She then produced a can of talcum powder and shook a liberal amount onto Dylan's diaper area, coating it with snowy white powder. She kneaded this into his skin too, eliciting ample giggles from him. Then the grand finale: she grasped him by his ankles, lifted him up, slid the diaper underneath, and brought the front panel up. The sound of the tapes being firmly attached one after the other brought back half-buried fond childhood memories.
After pronouncing Dylan officially diapered, she set to work on me. The feeling of giving in entirely--just letting myself be a little toddler getting diapered while everyone chuckled and cooed--that was an experience I don't even know how to describe. I blushed as she rubbed talcum into my groin, making my little member stiff again. Meanwhile, Dylan was having the time of his life racing around in just his diaper and shoes. I started to squirm. I was starting to get antsy--I needed to run!
Mom noticed this, and unexpectedly set me back on my feet. She gently patted me on the bottom and chuckled. "Go on. I know you're not gonna keep holding still, so let that energy out."
My first few steps forward where hesitant and awkward. The ample talcum powder dusting my diaper area made my nudity even more glaring; it was obvious that I was just a little kid who'd escaped a rightful diaper change. In fact, several people openly made that speculation. The bobbing stiffie didn't help, either. But Dylan was there as usual to make me quickly forget my modesty, and for a minute or two we played an impromptu game of tag.
When I was tired again, Mom had the diaper laid out and ready for me. I obediently plopped my bottom down on it, relishing the pillow-like cushioning. She lovingly packaged me up in my diaper--not too loose, and not too tight.
"I ran out of pull-ups, so it's back to diapers for you kiddos for now. Alright then, let's get going!"
She held us by our hands and led us to the exit. The two of us were just toddlers in nothing but diapers and footwear...heading towards a life we'd long dreamed of.