“I pway,” Leah chirped cheerfully. The woman chuckled.
“I can see that! You’ve got a life jacket and everything! But you’re really little. Where are your parents?” the woman asked. Leah looked around desperately, but there were no adults nearby that she could claim were her parents. “Hmm. Why don’t you stick near me for a little bit, okay? We’ll track down your parents together!”
Reluctantly, knowing that the woman would raise hell if she argued, Leah nodded. She followed the woman down the beach, waiting for the perfect opportunity to sneak away. As they walked, Leah looked herself over. Judging by her size, she was about two, now. A hot pink life jacket was buckled over her still pink one-piece swimsuit. The life jacket prevented her from seeing if the pattern had changed at all.
The life jacket was a nice surprise, but the swim diaper wasn’t. It was thick enough to impede her movement, making her toddle, and was even visible as a large bulge around her waist. Even worse, she could feel warmth spreading through it as they walked, indicating that she was using it without meaning to.
“Well, this isn’t good,” the woman said after they had canvassed the entire beach. She looked around and spotted a lifeguard. “Wait here, sweetie. I’m going to talk to the lifeguard about this.” The woman walked away. Hope surged in Leah’s chest. Now was the perfect time to get away!