"When I'm at work, you can't stay at my home alone," Rita says.
"What? Why?" Leah whines around the pacifier.
"That mom was about to call the cops! The only reason it was fine was because I knew where you were for how long and when to expect you back. I can't risk you leaving the house and getting caught up in something like that again while I'm at work and don't know where you are."
"I can just text or call you!"
"I'm not allowed to have my phone on me constantly at work. If something happens, and happens fast, you could be picked up by CPS before I read the first text!"
"Well...I can just stay at the house the entire time you're at work," Leah suggests. Rita laughs.
"Yeah, right. I know how teenagers work. You'll claim to be home but sneak out to get wasted or high with your friends. No, this is the best option."
Leah scowls. Rita really doesn't understand child development. She thinks Leah needs diapers all the time but also thinks she's capable of sneaking out to drink at a party? It's a good thing she's only staying for a few more days.
They get back to the house. Rita opens the door and sets Leah down.
"Here are your options for what you do while I'm at work," she says. "You can stay here with a babysitter, go to daycare, come with me to work, or go to the daycare at my work."
"Could I choose my babysitter?" Leah asks. Rita shrugs.
"I don't see why not." Leah nods thoughtfully. "Want to help me with dinner while you think?"
"Sure!" Leah follows Rita into the kitchen and the two begin cooking. Leah isn't completely focused on what she's doing, but since Rita doesn't trust her with the stove (but trusts her with sharp knives), it's okay. She's weighing her options, trying to decide. Her best friend Tonya is a licensed babysitter, so maybe Leah could get Rita to hire her? But then Tonya would know about the whole diaper thing. Unless Leah disobeyed the diaper rule or pretended to be someone else.
A small bit of pee squirts into Leah's diaper, but she doesn't notice, too deep in thought. About halfway through cooking, Rita looks oddly at Leah.
"You know, you don't need to suck on that thing," she teases. Leah suddenly realizes she's had the pacifier in her mouth the entire time. She smiles sheepishly and takes it out. Rita laughs. But Leah wants to suck on it again the second she takes it out, so when Rita turns away, she quickly puts it back in. She suckles on it happily as they finish cooking, taking it out and tucking it away before Rita can notice. To her frustration, she's once again wishing it was in her mouth.
Leah and Rita sit at the table, Leah upon a stack of books to get her to the right height, and begin to eat.
"Did you make your decision about what you'll do while I'm at work?" Rita asks. Leah nods. Strangely, suckling the pacifier had really helped to calm her down so she could think with a level head, rather than be so upset about the circumstances that she can't decide. "Awesome! What is it?"