Done Adulting Vol. 2 Ch. 7

On my way, Jane texted Becky as she got up from the spot she’d saved for them on the pool deck. Since it was a private swim club, Jane had to go meet Becky at the gate for them to come in. She was confident she could leave Rosie with their things for a few minutes alone. It wasn’t like she ever got up to any mischief anyway.

“They’re with me,” Jane said as she approached the gate office. Becky handed over two bills to cover their admission. “I like that hat,” Jane told Becky. It was new for the summer, a wide, floppy sun hat.

“Thank you. I just got it.” On her back she wore a backpack filled with their pool things, and on her hip she carried Jamie. “Ahem,” she said.

“Thank you for inviting us,” Jamie said.

“Thank you for coming. We’re right over here.” Jane led them past bathers and sun fiends spread all over the pool deck. It was the biggest pool Jamie had ever been to, and not just because it was a pool for bigs. There were actually four pools, two large ones and and two small ones, the latter two set aside, one each, for small children and littles. The pool deck itself was just concrete, and pavilions offered some shade but not much room as so many people tried to crowd under. At least a hundred others were on the deck laid out on chaise lounges or on their towels over the warm concrete itself, face up or face down, soaking up sunlight.

Jamie sniffed. “What’s that smell?”

“Minerals from the pool water. It’s spring fed. It’s very good for your skin.”

“O.” Jamie was ready to get in the water. Being pressed up against Becky was making him sweaty. When they got to the chairs Jane had set aside for them, they found Rosie had wandered a few meters away to sit in a puddle of pool water where the deck dipped slightly. Becky put Jamie on his feet, and he took off his sandals and shirt and wandered over to Rosie while Becky laid out their towels.

“Hi, Rosie,” he said as he sat down in the puddle with her. He was still in a regular diaper, but that didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be wearing it much longer.

“Hey, Jamie.”

“I like your swimsuit.” It was a modest two-piece in purple with pink piping. “You just sitting here?”

“Heh. I like it. The sun makes it warm.”

“Baby Bear,” Becky called out. “Let’s get you ready.”

“Excuse me,” Jamie said as he got out of the puddle and waddled back to Becky in his now saggy diaper.

“Hey! You’re taking my puddle with you!” An exaggeration, but he took a lot of it.

“O, um, sorry?” She stuck her tongue out at him. Jamie didn’t reciprocate because he knew he deserved her rebuke. She followed him over.

“O jeez,” Becky said as she watched him toddle, “Please tell me you sat in something.”

“Yeah,” Rosie said, “My puddle!” Jane tried not to laugh at her pouty face.

“It’s okay, Rosie. We’ll make you another one,” Jane promised. That contented her, though she knew it would take a while for the sun to warm it up again. As Jamie pulled himself onto his chair, the tapes of his diaper failed under the weight of Rosie’s puddle. The diaper dropped, taking his swimsuit down with it and showing his pale butt to a few dozen people, not that a little’s bare butt was a rare sight on this side of the pool deck.

“Jamie, you are such a silly bear sometimes,” Becky said as she sighed and got sunscreen and a swim diaper from the bag. He laid back, and she pulled his swimsuit the rest of the way off along with the saturated diaper. “You want these back on or your speedo ones?” Jamie found he didn’t swim so well as he liked with a swim diaper on unless he had a speedo over it to keep it snug. He’d never have worn a speedo before coming to Itali, but then there were a lot of things he wouldn’t have worn before.

“Speedo.” He pulled his hat over his eyes to block the sun and lifted his hips when Becky threaded the swim diaper and then his suit up his legs. They were pretty practiced at it. She rubbed him down with sunscreen, and he stretched his arms up high and wide.

“You’re not sleepy, are you,” Becky asked.

“The water will wake him up.”

“Can we go play,” Jamie asked. Jane had managed to score them a spot near the littles’ pool so they could keep an eye on them. Jane had been a lifeguard and a babysitter in her youth, and she knew they were two distinct jobs.

“In that pool,” Jane said. “You have to come back for Rosie to get her water wings on if you want to go in the big pool.”

“Okay,” Jamie said. Rosie took his hand as he hopped off the chair and started walking toward the pool.

“Does he know,” Jane asked when they were out of earshot.

“That Amanda is out looking at apartments? No.”

“Hmm,” Jane grunted. “What’s she looking for?”

“Something closer to school with two bedrooms. We’re both a little surprised by how expensive everything is.”

“Can she afford it with her assistantship?”

“Well, I’m paying half for Jamie. A roommate wouldn’t hurt. Mel and her have discussed it.”

“Jamie would certainly like that.”

“Yeah, he would probably. Amanda wants to try living alone for a while though, just a rite of passage I guess. Alone with Jamie, that is.”

“You figure out how you’re gonna split time with him?” Becky winced at the question.

“Not yet. Ya know, I’m really trying to be strong for them, but I’m … ugh,” Becky sighed. “It’s hard for me, too.”

“I know,” Jane said sympathetically. “We’ll get you through it.”

“Anyway,” Becky said as she shook her head, “we’re gonna try to make it fun for Jamie. After we get it narrowed down to a few places, we’re gonna let him help decide, and then he can pick out everything for his room there. We’re hoping participating will help him get through it.”

“I wish there was something I could do for you. I mean, I’ll help with it all, but, well, you know what I mean.”

“Could you tell Amanda she’s not allowed to grow up anymore?”

“I can try,” Jane said as she reached over to give her friend’s shoulder a squeeze. “When is she hoping to move?”

“Three weeks or so before school starts so they can get situated.”

“What are those littles up to, anyway?” Jane was having a hard time keeping track of them in the littles’ pool, which was pretty full.

“If we get them out now, we can get lunch at the snack bar before it gets busy,” Becky suggested.

“Let’s give them a few more minutes. How’s everything else going for you?”

“Okay. We’ll have Ella a few days a week when we get back from our trip. Jamie’s misses her a bunch. I guess Stacy’s been busy because we haven’t been able to get them together for a play date lately.”

“Those two love birds are so adorable. I was afraid at first that Rosie would be jealous of her, but they seem to get along fine when all three of them are together.”

“Ella’s pretty good with regressed littles. I mean, I know Rosie is only a little regressed, but still.”

Jane frowned in the direction of the pool, where a few pre-teen bigs were splashing and making a ruckus. “I wish the lifeguard would chase those boys out of there. They’re a little rambunctious to be around the littles.”

“Guess Jamie agrees,” Becky said as she stood up to intervene as she watched Jamie start to shout at them.

“… where you’re stomping,” Becky heard Jamie yell as she got closer with Jane on her heels. The boys’ backs were to her, and they were apparently unconcerned with the lifeguard and the other adults around.

“Or what,” the oldest boy shot back.

“Or I’ll march you over to your parents,” Becky said as the boys startled and turned around. “You have two big pools to play in, and you’re being too wild around these littles, and you ought to know better than to ever threaten one, even if you didn’t mean it!” The boys filed off with a chorus of “ums” and “sorries.”

Becky wasn’t done as she turned on the teenage lifeguard. “You think maybe next time you can do that? It is your job, ya know.”

“Sorry,” the girl said sheepishly. “I’m new at this.”

“I know it’s hard at first,” Jane reassured her, “but you are older than them, and you are in charge. Don’t be afraid of them.” She remembered being sixteen, intimidated by rambunctious kids, and unsure of her authority. Jamie helped Rosie over the side of the pool.

“They almost knocked down Rosie,” he said as Becky gave him a hand.

“You okay,” Jane asked.

“Yeah,” Rosie squeaked. “But I am hungry. Can we have ice cream for lunch?”

“Maybe for a snack this afternoon,” Jane told her. “Let’s get you two dried off.” They each wrapped their little in a towel and carried them to a table near the snackbar. “Cheeseburgers for everyone,” Jane asked.

“Perfect,” Becky said. Jane went to go order. “Don’t chew on your towel, baby,” Becky gently admonished Jamie as she pulled the corner of it away. It was a bad habit of his.

“Sorry. Can I go swim in the big pool after lunch?”

“Yeah, but I think one of us will need to go with you.”

After lunch, Rosie opted to go play in her puddle while Becky took Jamie over to one of the big pools. One seemed to be occupied by mostly older adults lazily doing laps, while the other was full of kids splashing around. Jamie chose the one with the older people. Becky sat down on the edge while Jamie got in and started doing laps of his own.

She was checking her phone to see the pictures Amanda had sent when the lifeguard blew his whistle. Becky knew it couldn’t be Jamie causing a problem, so she didn’t even look up.

“Excuse me,” someone said to her.

“Huh,” Becky said as she turned over her shoulder to the woman behind her.

“Is that your little,” the woman asked. Becky turned back and saw a lifeguard lifting Jamie out of the pool by his hands on the other side. Becky knew what the problem was immediately. She stood up and started walking over. She felt a headache coming on.

“He can swim,” she testily told the guard as he set Jamie down.

“Is he yours,” the guard asked. He looked to be about twenty.

“Yes, and he can swim, so don’t please bother him unless he’s drowning.”

“Sorry. No littles allowed in the big pools without a flotation device.”

Becky sighed in frustration. “Well, he can float, too,” she answered back sarcastically.

“Sorry,” he apologized again. “It’s club policy.”

“He’s my little, and if I say he can swim, then he can fff…” Becky stopped herself, closed her eyes and exhaled. Jamie had yet to say anything and was embarrassed to be the focus of a few eyes turning their way. Becky swallowed down her feelings.

“Fine,” Becky snapped, “Whatever.” She picked Jamie up and started walking away.

“It’s okay, Mom. It’s not that big a deal,” he said to her; though he was irritated, he thought her reaction was out of proportion. They had to argue with the manager at the pool they usually went to get her to let him swim without water wings. Becky vowed that summer to get them to stop making him get out during adult swim sessions. If all the adults do during the adult swims is laps, why can’t he do laps? It’s not like he ever got in anyone’s way or even took up much space.

“I’m sorry, Baby Bear.” They got back to their spot, and she sat down on her chair with Jamie laying against her. Jane looked at the two of them wondering what had happened, and Jamie looked back at her and shrugged, not knowing what had made Becky get so uncharacteristically bad-tempered with the guard or why she seemed upset now.

“It’s really okay, Mommy. I can swim tomorrow at our pool.”

“I don’t like how that guard made you get out,” Becky said. Jamie thought he heard her voice break ever so slightly. “I just want you to have the perfect summer.”

“We will,” he told her. “Besides,” he lied, “I’m kinda tired. Can I just stay with you?” He knew she’d feel better if she just held him for a while. After all, it always made him feel better.

“Yes,” she answered. She stroked his hair and readjusted him so they were both more comfortable. “Or we can go right now, and you can swim at the beach or our pool. Whatever you want.”

“I wanna stay right here.” He gave her a kiss. Jamie had learned it made Becky feel especially warm inside when he tried to take care of her. Small things, like bringing her a snack (with Manda’s help; he remembered not to get on the counter), or tucking a blanket around her toes. He turned to Jane. “I think my mommy needs a nap.”

“You think so,” Jane played along.

“Mhmm. And so do I.”

“Don’t let me stop the two of you,” Jane said. She winked as she said it. Becky thought the wink was for her. Jamie thought it was for him.

“If you insist, Baby Bear,” she chuckled. Becky sat up and adjusted the chair to recline further.