Third day

Peter woke up early enough to eat breakfast before Nicole left for work. Then, after he had changed his diaper, Elizabeth changed him into a disposable one.

“Where are we going?” She knew what disposable diapers meant.

“Mommy has a few errands today,” Elizabeth explained, helping him pull on jeans. Then a white Tom and Jerry T-shirt, white sneakers, and a hat.

As Peter looked at his reflection, he was back in adult clothes after a few days, but not a man’s suit but a teeny-tiny one. The waistband of his diaper was sticking out above his leggings, and the short T-shirt did nothing to cover it. Not that it would do him any good. The tight leggings left no doubt about what was underneath. Being out in public like that was very unsettling to the hunchback.

Elizabeth repacked the diaper bag and they were on their way. Peter watched nervously from the backseat. He wondered where they were going, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

It was worse than he feared. Elizabeth turned into a shopping mall parking lot. People were streaming in and out. There were many people who saw her the moment she got out of the car, and even more than once inside.

Elizabeth got out of the car with her diaper bag, opened Peter's door, and unbuckled his seatbelt. "Come and hug me."

Peter shook his head. "I can't get out like this."

"Don't be stupid. Get out of this car right now."

"No!" He grabbed the seat.

"Okay." Elizabeth refastened her seatbelt. "Have it your way."

Without another word, he drove her home. He hugged her as soon as they got inside, leading her to the couch.

She sat down. "Get over my lap."

She did as she was told, hoping that obedience would ease her anger. "Yes, Mom."

She pulled down the back of her diaper and her legs. Disobeying Mom was so naughty. Her hand came down hard on her bare bottom. Especially when we're out in public."

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry, but I can't let them all see me with a diaper on your lap."

She spanked her again. "You're a toddler." And again. "Toddlers wear diapers." And again.

"But then." She endured another spank. "When I grow up again. How will I face them?"

"That's a grown-up concern." Elizabeth stops spanking. "You don't even need to worry about potty training yet, pumpkin." As if to punctuate the sentence, she pulled up her diaper and put her bottom inside it. Then she helped him to his feet and straightened his legs.

Peter thought the punishment was over. He was wrong.

Elizabeth pulled the footstool to an empty corner of the room. “This is the devil’s chair,” she explained. “Sit here, facing the wall. You’re in time-out.”

Peter obeyed. He felt childish as he sat there, staring into the corner. He preferred being spanked.

“We still have to go to the mall today.” Elizabeth said from behind him, “People will see that you’re a diapered little boy. Use your time in the devil’s chair to find a way to accept it.”

And so he sat there, contemplating the fact that he would soon be carried through a mall in his mother-in-law’s arms, diapers clearly visible. He imagined it. How would people look at him? What would they say? Many would laugh. He felt embarrassed, as if he had been there before.

He was distracted when he felt the need to pee. He held it in more as something to focus on than not using a diaper. Eventually, that got tiresome and he wet the diaper.

Still, he had to sit there with his wet diaper and anticipate his diaper journey. Eventually, he got to the point where he just wanted to get it over with. He couldn't take the wait any longer.

Finally, Elizabeth turned around and asked. "Are you ready to go to the mall now?"

"Yes, Mom." He replied sadly.

"Good boy." She helped him up and turned him around so she could pick him up and hug him tightly. "Mommy loves you."

She really meant it, and Peter felt it. He returned the hug.

Do you need a diaper change before you go?"

"Yes, Mom."

Elizabeth turned Peter into a clean disposable diaper and they were soon back in the mall parking lot.

Once again, Janet came out with the diaper bag, opened Peter's door and unbuckled his belt. She held out her hand to him. "Come on, pumpkin."

Peter's heart was pounding, but he took Elizabeth's hands and pulled her into his arms. Somehow being carried made him feel better. He was still scared, but he found the courage to leave the car.

"Good boy." Elizabeth smiled at him as she carried him toward the entrance.

Most people were minding their own business and didn't even glance at the woman carrying a grown man like a child on one arm, but a few did notice. They pointed at her and whispered to their friends. Peter heard a few laughs and put his arm around Janet.

Their first stop was the barbershop. The young woman behind the counter just grinned and looked at Peter. "Hello, Elizabeth. We're almost ready for you. Please sit down." Elizabeth led Peter to the waiting area. Part of it was fenced off and had a basket of toys for young children. The purpose was clear. It was a play area where mothers could leave their little ones while they got their hair done. This was exactly what Elizabeth had planned to do with Peter did.

She opened the childproof gate.

She put Peter inside. It was behind a glass playground, looking out onto the mall. When Elizabeth closed the gate, Peter realized he was in full view of everyone passing by.

He turned his back to the window. Realizing that this would give people outside his covered floor, he sat down. They could still see his diaper belt, but it was the best he could do.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth selected a magazine and sat down in a chair to wait her turn. Soon she was called to a chair and the hairdresser got to work.

People stood and stared at Peter through the window.

For Stephen, Elizabeth's haircut was taking an excruciatingly long time. This was worse than his time-out. At least he didn't have people staring at him in the naughty chair.

When Elizabeth finally finished, Peter watched her pay the young woman behind the counter and then turn back to open the garden. He quickly pulled her into a hug. In her arms, Peter could ignore the people outside staring at his sagging bottom.

Janet glanced at her watch. “Oh, honey. We’re going to be late. I’d better get you some lunch.”

Peter clung tightly to Janet as Elizabeth entered the mall. People continued to stare, but she ignored them, focusing only on the feeling of being in Elizabeth’s arms.

Elizabeth saw the sign for the restrooms and paused for a moment. Do you need a diaper change before lunch?

Peter shook his head, blushing at being asked out loud in public.

They arrived at a café and found a table. Peter felt a little more at ease here. The customers and staff could still see him, but he was shielded from the crowd outside.

Elizabeth checked the menu and chose food for both of them without consulting Peter. She left him at the table as she went to order.

Peter made the mistake of looking around. The other customers were all looking at him. Most of them were talking about it subtly, but some were staring outright.

Luckily, Elizabeth didn’t take long and soon she was back again, hugging him as she sat down in the chair, placing Peter on her lap. He could only focus on Elizabeth and ignore the others.

“I think you’re going to miss your nap today,” Elizabeth said. “I still have to go to the bank and do the grocery shopping.”

While Peter wasn’t worried about missing his nap, he didn’t like hearing that they still had things to do at the mall. As they waited for lunch, he also realized that he needed to pee. He wondered if he could hold out while Elizabeth finished her chores. He wondered if the people watching him would be able to tell if she had wet herself. Then he realized that if Elizabeth had known she had wet herself, she would probably have changed her at the mall.

While he was worrying about this, a waitress brought their food. "The kids' food should be for you." With a smile, she placed the plate in front of Peter. It contained a few small ham and cheese sandwiches with two slices of French toast on it. Next to it, she placed a juice box.

Peter knew Elizabeth wanted him to use good manners. "Thanks, Auntie."

Elizabeth smiled at him proudly, happy to have made her happy despite her embarrassment.

"You're welcome." The waiter couldn't keep his expression straight, but he continued, pretending that Peter was actually a boy. "Would you like to do some coloring when you're done?"

"That would be great," Elizabeth answered for him.

The waiter got some crayons and a coloring picture of a unicorn and placed them in the middle of the table.

"Thank you, Auntie," Peter said again.

"You're such a polite little girl," she said. "What's your name?"

"Peter."

"That's a pretty name," she continued. "And how old are you, Peter?"

"Twenty-eight," he replied without thinking.

The waiter laughed. "Isn't he a little old for diapers?"

Elizabeth laughed and corrected her. "Peter is two."

"Don't worry," the waiter teased her. "I'm sure you'll learn your numbers soon enough." With that, she went to serve the other tables.

“Don’t wait for Mom,” Elizabeth told her. “You can start eating.”

She did, and she was almost done when Mom’s lunch arrived. After eating the last piece of fairy bread, she pulled out her crayons and colored picture. It was all she could focus on as she tried to ignore the people watching her and the increasing likelihood of having to use her diaper in front of them.

She had just finished the picture when Elizabeth finished the last of her food.

“This is so beautiful,” she told him. “You’re a good artist.”

It was a supportive complement, but a complement nonetheless. “Thanks, Mom.”

Elizabeth folded the picture neatly and put it in her handbag before hugging Peter once more and leading him back to the mall.

The next stop was the bank. Elizabeth joined the line. Since everyone in front of them was focused on moving forward, none of them noticed Peter, but the woman who came up behind them certainly did.

"Is this a dare?" she joked. "Or did you lose the bet?"

"Peter. You're being rude," Elizabeth insisted. "The good lady asked you a question."

"This is a punishment." Peter reluctantly turned to the woman. "I missed the toilet and didn't clean it, so Mom said I had to be trained as a boy."

Are you his mother?" the woman asked Elizabeth.

"I'm his mother-in-law," she explained. "But until Peter's training is done, he's a little boy and I'm his mom."

"Wow." The woman felt sorry for Stephen. ".

By then, Peter's need to pee had become very urgent. He rested his head on Elizabeth's shoulder, trying to control himself. The woman noticed but didn't say anything. She just watched, curious to see if Peter was actually using his diaper.

Before they reached the front of the line, Peter gave in and wet his diaper. The woman noticed that he had stopped fidgeting and realized what had happened.

Elizabeth noticed too, and when they were done at the bank, she said to Peter. "Let's go change your diaper."

She kindly led Peter back to the restroom. She opened the door to the ladies' room and pulled him in. Fortunately, they found the room empty.

Elizabeth pulled down the changing table. "There's no way you're going to fit in there," she decided. After looking around the room and finding no suitable surface, she shrugged and just pulled Peter's legs down where he stood.

Just as Janet set the diaper bag down on the counter, the door swung inward. Two women entered the room. Their conversation was cut short when they saw her standing there, her legs wrapped around her ankles, her wet diaper on display.

"What the hell?" one of them blurted out. "Is he really changing his diaper?"

"Oh my God!" another declared.

Elizabeth ignored them and opened the bag to gather the necessary supplies. She returned to Peter and had untied the diaper straps. She told the women, "I'm sorry, ladies. My little boy needs changing and there's no table for him here either." The women said, "Do you need any help?"

This made Peter blush, Elizabeth said you could cradle him in your arms while I change his diaper, one of them said of course then she moved closer to Peter, Peter objected but Elizabeth warned her.

The woman cradled Peter in her arms.

"Oh dear." Elizabeth grabbed the used diaper and rolled it up. "You're wet again. You didn't leak everywhere." She took the baby wipes out of the diaper bag and cleaned his privates. "There. Everything's clean again. Isn't that better?"

"Yes, Mom." He agreed.

Then, she took out the new diaper and untied it. "Please lift up your bottom a little, pumpkin."

The woman raised her legs to do this.

"Thank you." She placed the diaper under him and gently patted his lower side.

He understood the signal and lowered himself onto the pad. Elizabeth pulled the diaper tight between her legs and held him in it.

Peter felt good to be properly wrapped in a dry diaper again.

"Welcome pumpkin." Elizabeth smiled at Peter as she set him down and then pulled his leg up onto the bottom of the pillow.

Elizabeth put the old diaper away, the women asked why you were still diapering your son? Elizabeth said, "He's my son-in-law. Unfortunately, he's lost his toilet, so I'm retraining him." Elizabeth washed her hands and then picked up Stephen and carried him to the mall.

Their last stop was the supermarket. Elizabeth grabbed a cart and considered a highchair. "I think your bottom will fit in there."

She put Peter in the cart as she walked up and down the aisles, keeping up with what she needed. By then, Peter was used to the looks and comments of other shoppers. It seemed like they had been at the mall forever.

Elizabeth soon gathered all the items on her list and carried them through the checkout.

"Hi Elizabeth." The young woman at the checkout recognized her.

"Hi Sarah. Nice to meet you."

" Sarah began scanning the groceries. "Hi Peter. Nice to meet you. I'm Sarah."

Peter knew he had to be polite. "Hi Sarah."

"Peter. You should speak to adults respectfully.” Janet corrected her. “You should call her Mrs. Stone.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Stout.”

That made her laugh. “Mommy said you could come over to my house to play.” She spoke to Peter as if she believed he was a real little boy. “Do you like that?”

Peter thought he wasn’t allowed to say no. “Yes, Mrs. Stone.”

“I’ll be home all day tomorrow,” she addressed Elizabeth. You can drop him off in the morning and rest.

“That sounds lovely.” Elizabeth agreed. Peter and I will see you tomorrow.

After they got home, Elizabeth had changed Peter back into a cloth diaper and plastic pants. The leggings had no chance of stretching over the much thicker padding, so he was just in his T-shirt, diaper, and plastic pants. He was lying on his pink blanket, watching an educational cartoon for toddlers.

Elizabeth left him in the living room and went to the kitchen.

After a few minutes, she returned with a bowl of food, sat down opposite Peter, and fed him.

Since Peter had neglected his nap, Elizabeth put him to bed early that night. When she heard Nicole come home from work, she was already settled.