Belle waited for a bit longer before deciding to give up on just sitting around doing nothing. Someone came up to talk to the employee. While the employee was distracted, Belle snuck off. She walked around, looking for something to occupy her time. Her gaze landed on a Cinnabon kiosk. Mouth watering, she walked over.
“I’d like a cinnamon roll, please,” she said to the person behind the counter.
“Do you have enough money to pay for it, little girl?” the person asked.
“I’ll cover it,” said a voice behind Belle. Belle froze. She slowly turned her head. It was Morton. Morton smiled at her. “It’s only one cinnamon roll, after all.” Morton paid for the cinnamon roll and handed it to Belle. “Come with me, Belle.” Belle reluctantly followed.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“You’re quite welcome. However, I’m not happy that you wandered off. It’s not safe for a little girl to be walking around the airport without an adult,” Morton said firmly. Belle looked down at her minute feet.
“I got bored.”
“That’s what your backpack is for, dear. Did you think it was empty?”
“…Oh.”
“We can walk for a bit while you finish your treat,” Morton said, his voice airy. The two walked around, watching the planes and travelers. Once Belle had finished her cinnamon roll, Morton crouched down to her eye-height. “All done?”
“Yes. But my fingers are sticky.”
“We can get you washed up. But first, your punishment.”
“…What?”
“You misbehaved and tried to deviate from your vacation plan, despite how kind and considerate Traveler’s Aid was in helping you out,” Morton said calmly. He took Belle’s backpack and opened it. “Do you see what you have in here?” Belle looked into the backpack. She paled. On top were multiple pairs of training pants. “These are important for long trips for someone your age. But I think that you might need them even when you’re not on a long trip.”
Belle let out a soft gasp as she felt warmth spreading through her underwear. She was peeing herself! A large wet spot appeared on the front of her denim skirt. How had Morton done this to her?
“Oh, you need a new skirt,” Morton said, pretending to be surprised. “Luckily, I have one that’s perfect for you. It might be a bit small at first, but it should fit quickly.” Morton took Belle’s hand and dragged her over to a nondescript door. He opened the door, revealing the same room that Belle had been in when she first got “help” from Traveler’s Aid.
Morton pushed Belle into the room, closed the door, and then grabbed a fresh skirt for Belle. Before Belle could put it on, though, he took one of the pairs of training pants out of Belle’s backpack. He handed both the pull-up and skirt to Belle.
“Get changed,” he instructed. “I’ll restock your backpack, since you’ll need more of these.” Belle reluctantly removed her skirt and underwear, then pulled on the training pants and fresh skirt. Like Morton had said, the skirt was snug at first, but quickly fit. Belle glanced at her wristband. Now, it said that her age was three, not four.
Great. She had just lost another year. Morton came back with her backpack.
“Plenty of training pants in case you need a change, as well as some diapers,” he said, handing her the backpack. “If I were you, I’d ask a stewardess to change you into a diaper when you board, just in case you fall asleep.” He checked his watch. “Speaking of, it’s time for you to get on the plane!”
Before Belle could say anything, Morton pushed Belle out of the room. Somehow, she was back to being behind the desk with the bored employee. A stewardess walked up to the desk.
“It’s time for Belle to board,” the stewardess said. The employee sighed in relief.
“Finally! Later, kid.” The stewardess took Belle’s hand and led her to the gate. Before they boarded the plane, she looked down at Belle.
“You’re pretty young. Are you in a diaper? Kids your age usually wear one for long flights.” Belle shook her head. “Do you want me to put you in a diaper?”
Belle thought of Morton’s warning, then replied…