If You Act Like A Baby (Chapter 6)

Jamie's bladder continued to nag at him, steadily building pressure and causing discomfort. He shifted uneasily, crossing and uncrossing his legs in a desperate attempt to find relief. But the pressure persisted, urging him to find a restroom.

"Mum, please," Jamie pleaded, his voice laced with desperation. "I really need to use the restroom. Can we stop at the next gas station?"

His plea hung in the air, the weight of urgency evident in his voice. But his mother's response was far from sympathetic.

She snapped back, irritation clear in her tone, "Jamie, we're almost home. You're not a toddler anymore; you should be able to hold it for a few minutes!"

Jamie understood that, at his age, he should be capable of controlling his bladder. But recently, his ability to do so had weakened significantly. Wearing diapers with Leo had unknowingly taken a toll on his bladder control.

The convenience of relying on diapers had led to a habit of releasing whenever the need arose, rather than holding on until he could get to a toilet, like a big boy.

Now, without the safety net of a diaper, Jamie found himself desperately in need of a restroom. He couldn't simply let go like he had grown accustomed to. 

The fear of making a mess in the car and embarrassing himself loomed large in his mind.

In that moment, he yearned for the comfort of a diaper, knowing it would alleviate his anxiety and allow him to release his bladder without consequences.

As the traffic light ahead turned from amber to red, his mother braked abruptly, jolting the car. The sudden movement proved to be the final straw for Jamie's weakened bladder, and he felt a rush of warmth spreading across his lap.

His trousers became soaked with urine, wetting both his pants and the seat.

The feeling of warmth spreading throughout his crotch was both embarrassing and exhilarating. He could not help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction at having wet himself like a toddler, even though he was totally embarrassed and knew what was about to come when his Mum found out what had happened.

"We're almost there. Are you alright?" his mother asked, her voice laced with concern, cutting through Jamie's embarrassment.

"Thanks Mum” he replied, not revealing that he had already lost his battle.

He sat there quietly, not saying a word, trying to ascertain what he was going to tell his Mum and what his family would think of him.

As they drove towards the house, she urged Jamie to get ready to run.

“Get ready, I’ll drop you at the door. You go ahead and use the toilet while I park up. You can then come back and help me with the shopping.”

Regret laced Jamie's words as he murmured, "Sorry, Mum. It's too late."

Confusion clouded his mother's face, her brows furrowing in puzzlement as she sought clarification. "Too late?" she asked, her voice laced with a mix of surprise and curiosity. "What do you mean by that?" 

Her eyes searched his face, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words.

Jamie hesitated for a moment, his throat dry with apprehension. He took a deep breath, summoning the courage to explain the situation to his mother. "I couldn't hold it, I’m sorry Mum," he finally confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.

A flicker of understanding crossed his mother's features as the realisation dawned upon her. Her eyes widened slightly, a mixture of concern and disbelief intermingling in her gaze. "Jamie!," she uttered, a tinge of disbelief evident in her tone. "I can't believe it. At your age? Are you serious?"

His mother's scolding words hung heavily in the air, a sharp pang of disappointment piercing Jamie's heart. He couldn't muster a response, simply looking down at his lap, feeling the weight of humiliation and defeat.

As they pulled into the familiar embrace of their driveway, his mother turned off the engine, breaking the silence. 

With a stern expression, she turned to face Jamie, her voice firm yet tinged with a hint of compassion. "Jamie, go upstairs, take a shower, and change," she instructed. "And don't forget to remove your wet clothes and put them in the washing machine. We'll discuss this later."

Jamie mustered a feeble response. "Mum, it was an accident. I don't want my sisters or Dad to see me like this. Please, don't tell them what happened," he pleaded, his voice filled with a mix of vulnerability and a desperate desire to shield himself from further embarrassment.

A surge of anxiety coursed through Jamie's veins as he pleaded, "Mum, it was an accident. I don't want Ellie, Lauren or Dad to see me like this. Please, don't tell them what happened."

His mother's expression softened slightly, the sternness giving way to a glimmer of understanding. "Well, I suggest you go upstairs quickly and hope they're not home yet," she said, her voice gentle. "While you sort yourself out, I'll try to clean this mess up."

Jamie nodded gratefully, relief flooding over him. He opened the car door, the weight of embarrassment and shame heavy on his shoulders, and hurried toward the house as fast as his legs could carry him.

As Jamie ascended the staircase, each step seemed to feel harder than normal. The fear of leaving wet footprints behind making him tread lightly.

As he finally reached the bathroom, Jamie closed the door behind him, shutting out the outside world. He stood before the mirror, his reflection staring back at him, a silent witness to his inner turmoil. Taking a deep breath, he resolved to wash away the shame that clung to him, both literally and figuratively.

The hot water cascading from the shower head provided both physical and emotional comfort as Jamie stood beneath its cleansing stream. 

As the droplets washed away the evidence of his accident, his mind continued to replay the incident on a loop.

Downstairs, Jamie's mother was armed with towels and cleaning solution, determined to erase the evidence of the accident from the car seat. She scrubbed vigorously, the persistent stain testing her patience but fuelled by a mix of determination and a mother's unconditional love, she continued to persist.

Despite her best efforts, she could only succeed in eliminating a significant portion of the discolouration that marred the car seat. The faint but persistent odour of urine continued to cling tenaciously to the air, an unwelcome reminder of the unfortunate mishap that had unfolded within the confines of the vehicle.

Sighing with resignation, she closed the car door, resigned to the fact that she could not fully destroy the evidence of Jamie’s accident.

As she turned to walk inside, her husband’s car pulled up. She waved and quickly headed inside,, carrying the cleaning supplies with her as she called up to Jamie, notifying him of their arrival home.

"Jamie, are you alright? Your father and sisters just got home," his mother called out, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm fine, Mum. I'll be out in a minute," Jamie replied, his voice muffled by the sound of running water.

With each passing second, Jamie's heart raced faster. 

He finished his shower, stepped out of the bathroom, and opened the door to face his family, uncertainty gnawing at him.

"Feeling better now?" his mother asked gently, her voice a lifeline amidst the storm of emotions.

"Yeah, I guess so," Jamie replied, his voice tinged with a mixture of relief and trepidation.

"Jamie," she began, her voice filled with genuine concern. "I'm concerned. It's not normal to have accidents like this at your age."

Jamie's gaze fixated on his hands, reluctant to divulge the truth. But his mother's persistence broke through his defences.

"Jamie," she persisted, her voice gentle yet firm. "You need to tell me what's going on."

Summoning his courage, Jamie took a deep breath and confessed, "I don't know. I just couldn't seem to control it."

His mother nodded understandingly, acknowledging the vulnerability in Jamie's admission. "We need to figure out what's happening. We'll make an appointment with the doctor next week."

"It won't happen again. I just don't want anyone else to find out," Jamie pleaded, his voice laced with a mixture of fear and desperation.

His mother squeezed his hand, her touch a reassurance. "Don't worry," she whispered, her voice filled with compassion. "I won't say anything. It'll be our secret, but no more accidents, Jamie. You're too old for this."

Jamie nodded, a sense of gratitude swelling within him. The weight of his secret felt a little lighter, knowing that his mother would not tell anyone else.

Concerned about the wet clothes, his mother asked, "Where are your wet clothes?"

"Sorry, Mum. I forgot to take them downstairs," Jamie replied, his unease palpable.

"It's alright, I'll put them in the washing machine. You go and get dressed," his mother said, rising from the bed's edge.

As she picked up the damp clothes and made her way downstairs. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was nearly knocked over by Ellie who burst through the front door, a sense of urgency radiating from her.

"Mum, where are the car keys? I think I dropped my phone under the seat, and I really need to find it!" Ellie exclaimed, her voice laced with an undeniable urgency.

Her mother, wanting to shield Jamie's recent accident from Ellie's knowledge, attempted to dismiss her request. "Oh, Ellie, can it wait? I just cleaned the car, and it's still wet. Besides, I'm sure your phone will turn up later."

But Ellie remained insistent, her determination evident in her voice. "No, Mum, I really need to find it now. It's important."

Her mother sighed, realising that Ellie would not be easily deterred. "Alright, fine. I'll get you the keys."

As Ellie's mother retrieved the car keys, Ellie couldn't help but notice a flicker of unease in her mother's expression. Something didn't quite add up.

As Ellie reached to take the keys, her mother interjected, "Wait, Ellie. Let me do it. You stay here."

Perplexed by her mother's odd behaviour, Ellie furrowed her brows. "Why? What's the big deal? I just need to check under the seat."

Her mother hesitated for a moment, knowing that Jamie’s secret would be revealed as soon as she opened the car seat. "It's just... I just cleaned the car, and it's wet. I don't want you to get your clothes dirty."

Ellie's eyes widened with surprise. "But Mum, you never clean the car. Why are you suddenly so worried about it?"

Her mother avoided her gaze, her voice tinged with guilt. "Well, I just thought it needed a good clean. Now, let me handle it, alright?"

​​Perplexed at her mother's evasive response, Ellie stood by the side of the car, observing intently. Impatience welled up within her as time ticked by without any sign of her lost phone. 

Determined to find it, she circled around to the other side and opened the car door, undeterred by her Mum’s request to wait outside who was on the floor, looking under the seat, unaware of her daughters movements.

"Ellie, please stop!" her mother pleaded, but her words fell on deaf ears.

A repugnant odour assaulted Ellie's nostrils, and her senses recoiled in disgust. It was the unmistakable stench of urine, permeating the car's interior.

Her eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively recoiled from the offensive scent. "Ewwwww! What on earth happened to the car? It smells like... like someone peed in it."

Her mother's heart sank, and she searched for the right words to explain.

"Promise me you won't say anything," her mother implored, a note of urgency in her voice.

"Of course, Mum. But what really happened?" Ellie replied, her curiosity piqued.

"Jamie had an accident on the way home from the mall. He wet himself," her mother admitted, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Are you serious?" Ellie exclaimed, her disbelief evident.

"Yes, but Jamie is incredibly embarrassed about it. That's why I need you to promise me you won't tell your sister or your father. I assured him that no one would find out," her mother explained, her voice filled with concern.

"I won't say a word, Mum," Ellie replied, her tone tinged with intrigue, leaving her mother curious and apprehensive about what her daughter was about to say next.

"Thank you Ellie." 

“But...... there’s something that I need to tell you about Jamie."