As the adult approaches her, Laura’s self-control finally breaks. She’s had an exhausting, stressful, terrible day, she’s two years old, and is wearing a completely soiled diaper. Laura sits down heavily, the poop and pee smearing everywhere, and wails loudly.
“Oh, dear, poor thing,” says the adult who has come over, an elderly woman. She picks Laura up and carries her over to the picnic table. “Kaitlin, I think Ryan’s diapers should fit her.”
“I agree.” Laura freezes, recognizing the person the elderly woman is talking to. It’s her coworker, Kaitlin! Kaitlin must have brought her family out for a picnic. “Here, I can change her.” Laura is handed over to Kaitlin. The shock wears off and Laura resumes her temper tantrum.
“Here,” a man’s voice says. A pacifier is popped into Laura’s mouth. She sucks on it instinctively, quieting. Kaitlin then spreads out a changing mat on the ground, lays Laura on her back on it, and begins to change her. Desperate for a clean diaper and exhausted from everything, Laura doesn’t fight it. She whimpers slightly as Kaitlin wipes her down.
“And there we go!” Kaitlin says cheerfully, taping on a clean diaper. She sits Laura up. “Hmm, I wonder where she came from. I mean, she was only wearing a diaper, pooping behind a bush.” Kaitlin removes Laura’s pacifier. “Sweetie, can you tell me anything about yourself?”
“Me Lowa.”
“Laura. What a funny coincidence. I have a coworker with that name. Laura, how old are you?”
“Two,” Laura mumbles.
“Where are your parents?”
“No here.”
“I mean, she has to be telling the truth,” says Kaitlin’s husband, Scott. Laura’s met him a few times before. “There’s no one else in the park.”
“Yeah…” Kaitlin chews on her lip thoughtfully. “Okay. She can stay in the playpen with Ryan until we leave, and if no one’s come by to grab her by then, we’ll take her home and call the police.” Kaitlin brings Laura over to a playpen, in which a toddler-aged boy was sitting, and carefully puts her down.
“Bag!” Laura protests. Kaitlin looks through Laura’s bag.
“There’s some choking hazards in here.” She looks at Laura. “Sorry, sweetie, I’ll give your bag to your parents if they show up, but it isn’t safe for you.” The elderly woman from before brings Laura a bottle of milk.
“Here, honey. Drink up.” Thirsty and hungry, Laura takes the bottle and drinks it down quickly. Her exhaustion and the warm milk make her sleepy. She lays on the floor of the playpen, curls up, and falls asleep.
Laura wakes up in an unfamiliar place, on her back, someone removing her diaper. She opens her mouth to cry, but before she can make a peep, a pacifier is put in her mouth.
“Shh, Laura, don’t wake up Ryan,” says Kaitlin, who is currently changing her diaper. Laura sucks on her pacifier, trying to catch up with what has happened. Kaitlin must have taken her home when no one stopped by to pick her up. Well, things could be worse. For one thing, Kaitlin could be changing another poopy diaper. This one looks like it is merely wet.
“There! All done!” Kaitlin says softly. Laura continues suckling eagerly on her pacifier as Kaitlin puts her into a footed onesie. “Let’s get some food in you before bed.” Laura’s stomach rumbles. Kaitlin chuckles. She carries Laura out of what must be a nursery, down a hall past a room where Scott is reading to two young children, and into a kitchen.
In the kitchen, Laura is placed in a highchair while Kaitlin grabs baby food and heats up a bottle of milk. Kaitlin removes Laura’s pacifier to feed her.