"...ask Rita to help you with potty training," Tina suggests. Leah's eyes get wide. Having her step aunt she's never met before potty train her? That sounds horrible! But as Leah watches Tina throw out her filled diaper, she realizes that being diaper dependent is more horrible.
"Okay," Leah mutters around her pacifier. Tina wipes her down and tapes a fresh diaper on.
"I know that you don't want to potty train, particularly with someone you just met, but I think getting started right away is the right move," Tina says. "And don't worry, I have a flawless method to ensure you get trained fast. It works on all the kids at my daycare."
Leah just nods mutely.
Tina brings Leah, wearing just a diaper, to the living room. Rita has already brought in Leah's bags for the stay, and is waiting for them. Tina sets Leah on the couch and goes over the plan.
Tomorrow will be a rest day, for Leah to settle in and give Rita time to get potty training supplies. The second day of Leah's stay, potty training will start in earnest. Rita will check Leah every half hour and, whether she has a dirty diaper or not, take her to the toilet and instruct her to at least try to go. If Leah is able to go without an accident for a day by following this method, they increase the time between checks gradually. Toddler training potties will be placed in every room and hall so that if Leah gets warning, she doesn't have to go far. Similarly, Leah will only wear a shirt. Nothing covering her diaper. It would slow down getting ready to use the toilet and hide accidents.
"What about nighttime accidents?" Rita, who is more than happy to help potty train, asks. "Do you have any plans for that?"
"Well, usually daytime potty training carries through to the nighttime," Tina says. "If it doesn't, we'll address it. But for now, we need to focus on getting Leah back to control during the day."
As Tina gives Rita a list of supplies, Leah can't shake the feeling that even if the potty training works, she's still going to keep acting like a baby. Using her diaper didn't force her to suck on a pacifier, after all. And yet, she's still doing just that.
After Tina leaves, the rest of the evening goes by in a blur. Before she knows it, Leah is crawling into bed, exhausted. Her bladder lets loose just as she drifts off, still suckling her pacifier.