There are a few other toddlers at the daycare. Knowing she won’t be able to entertain herself all day with the toys available, Laura toddles over to her fellow attendees. Hopefully, playing with them will be a better distraction.
She sits next to a girl about her current age with curly red hair. The girl grins around her pacifier.
“Haley,” she says, pointing at herself.
“Lowa,” Laura says, pointing at herself. Haley giggles and hands Laura a doll. Laura smiles at her. They play dollies together until lunch, at which point everyone’s diapers are checked. Both Laura and Haley are dry, so they are brought over to highchairs and given their lunch – baby food and bottles of milk. Laura hungrily gulps down her milk. It takes different than what Anna has given her, but she doesn’t remember until after she’s finished it that this daycare gives breastmilk to children her age and younger.
Laura’s stomach churns at this realization. At least, she thinks that’s why she feels so uncomfortable, until she lets out a loud fart and messes her diaper. Her bladder lets loose shortly after, flooding her diaper with urine. Haley looks over at Laura, grins, and begins to grunt forcefully, her face turning red with effort. Laura is touched. Her new friend didn’t want her to be the only one with a poopy diaper.
After Haley finishes messing herself, both she and Laura are brought over to the changing tables, where they are laid down side-by-side while their diapers are changed. They giggle at each other.
At naptime, they are placed in the same crib by the daycare employees, who have caught on to how close Haley and Laura have gotten in a few short hours.
When naptime is over, diapers are checked again. Haley is wet, but Laura can tell she isn’t. Deciding to do for Haley what she did for Laura, Laura gets to her feet and squats, wetting her diaper. The employee checking on them sighs, but brings them over to be changed side-by-side again.
The rest of the day passes by quickly. Laura feels someone checking her diaper.
“Hmm. A bit wet, but you can wait until we get home,” Anna’s voice says. Laura looks up. Anna has returned. Anna looks over at Haley. “Did you make a friend?”
“Yes!” Laura chirps. Anna smiles.
“That’s lovely. Say goodbye to her for now. We have to go home.” Laura and Haley wave at each other, then Laura is placed back into her stroller and rolled out of the daycare. Kaitlin is already waiting outside, still in her ballet outfit. Laura can see Kaitlin’s training pants sticking out from her leotard. She giggles.
“How wath daycare?” Kaitlin asks.
“Fun!” Laura says happily. Kaitlin looks doubtful.
“Really? Well, I did like ballet, tho I gueth that maketh thenthe.”
“Laura made a friend today, actually,” Anna informs Kaitlin. She smiles down at Laura. “And it’s a good thing she made a friend, because…”