Laura arrives at the train station and boards without major issue. An attendant is called to take her to the car for unattended children. In the car, Laura’s diaper is checked, a girl about seven or eight is instructed to keep an eye on Laura, and Laura is left to her own devices.
Laura toddles over to a pile of toddler toys in one corner and sits down. She lets out a sigh of relief, having successfully made it onto the train. As she double-checks her items, however, she realizes that she left the dice at the restaurant. She jumps to her feet in a panic. The train pulls away, the sudden movement making Laura fall heavily onto her butt.
Distraught to have lost the dice, and startled slightly by the fall, Laura bursts into tears. The girl tasked with watching her sets down her book and walks over.
“What’s wrong?” she asks tiredly. Laura tries to pull herself together, but can’t. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll have to get the attendant.” Instinctively, Laura puts her thumb into her mouth and sucks on it fiercely. This calms her sufficiently for the girl to leave her alone again.
Each time Laura removes her thumb, intending to pick up her phone to make a plan, she feels tears spring to her eyes again, so she has to resume sucking to stay calm. About halfway through the train ride, the attendant returns with snacks. Laura is given a bottle of milk, which she sucks down eagerly. The attendant checks her diaper again.
“Wow, still dry! What a big girl!” the attendant remarks, making Laura blush.
Then...