Danny suckled happily on his pacifier as he watched cartoons. The first couple days in the daycare had been horrible. Everything he could no longer do was a reminder of how far he had fallen. But then Greg suggested that Danny stop thinking of things in terms of what he couldn’t do. Danny should think of it as his every need being taken care of. Once Danny made that switch, it was like he had entered a brand new world.
Every diaper change was transformed from being humiliating to being liberating. Danny didn’t need to use a potty anymore. He could just go whenever and wherever he wanted, and the best part was that he didn’t need to deal with the consequences. Someone else would take care of it.
Similarly, being unable to read became a relief. He didn’t need to worry about anything happening in the world and couldn’t even if he tried. After all, he couldn’t exactly read the newspaper anymore.
His toddling, awkward gait even when he wasn’t wearing a bulky diaper? That was just an excuse for someone else to carry him where he wanted to go.
“All right, Danny, time for your last day in daycare!” Greg said cheerfully. He picked Danny up and brought him into his room. “What do you want to wear today?” Greg held up a onesie patterned with butterflies and a T-shirt with letters that Danny could no longer read. But since the shirt was purchased before he lost his reading skills, Danny knew that it said “#1 Diaper Filler” on it.
Danny pointed at the T-shirt. Greg slipped the T-shirt over Danny’s head.
“Any bottoms with that?” Greg asked. Danny shook his head. “That’s what I thought. You’re a proud little diaper guy.” Danny grinned around his pacifier.
Greg picked Danny up again and brought him to the car, where he was buckled into his car seat. They drove away. Danny suckled on his pacifier thoughtfully. Today was supposed to be his last day in the nursery. But he didn’t want it to be. Greg had really changed his worldview.
Warmth spread through Danny’s diaper, reminding him of what he would be losing if he went back to how things were before. He didn’t want to lose the diapers. But he wouldn’t be able to make this decision on his own. He needed to talk to someone about it. The only question was who.