Learning Empathy

“I didn’t do anything,” Katelyn protested. She couldn’t believe she was even having to defend herself, and it was so embarrassing to be scolded like a child in front of Bertie. She was twenty years old!

“I heard you,” her stepmother, Rosemary rejoined. “I heard you calling him names and making fun.”

“All I did was call him a diaper boy.”

“Why? Why would you do that? Look at him – he’s crying.” He was crying, no longer sobbing, but Bertie’s feelings were hurt.

“I know,” Katelyn answered back with a smirk, “he’s a crybaby too.” Swat! “Mom! What the hell?!?” Katelyn rubbed her butt through her shorts, stunned that her stepmom would give her a spank on her butt. It had been five years since the last time she’s gotten a spanking, not counting a few warning swats here and there until her stepmom decided Katelyn’s spanking days were completely over. She glanced red-faced at Bertie, who seemed almost as shocked as she was.

“Apologize to him right now,” Rosemary ordered.

“No. I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

“It’s doesn’t matter if it’s true. You said it just to be mean.”

“But he is too old to wear diapers. He’s a pee pants, and he packs his pampers three friggin times a day and just sits there like it doesn’t bother him that he’s got a load in his huggies.”

“What do you care? It’s not hurting you.”

“Cuz it’s ridiculous, and cuz I was trying to just enjoy my magazine when he went and fudged his huggies again and just sat there playing with his toys. I can’t believe Aunt Maureen is marrying him.”

“You’d better because this time tomorrow he’s going to be your uncle.”

“He just … Look at him! He’s more upset I called him stinky than that he’s got a poopy diaper! He’s thirty for cripe’s sake!”

“Enough! He can’t help who he is. You apologize right now.”

“No.” She wouldn’t lower herself to apologize someone sitting in a dirty diaper and crying just cuz she teased him a little for it.

“I’m going to count to three. Three …”

Katelyn wasn’t going to budge. If anything, he should apologize for stinking up the living room.

“Two …”

Katelyn couldn’t believe her stepmom was actually counting like when she was a toddler. If anyone in the room was a toddler, it was him.

“One.”

Rosemary didn’t remember the last time she’d been so upset with her stepdaughter. Making fun of people wasn’t what she taught her about kindness and empathy. Sure, maybe he didn’t need diapers, but whether he did or not, Katelyn was in the wrong. All she had to do was respect that he was on his own journey and be nice.

Rosemary’s hand reached out and snatched Katelyn’s wrist before she could react. “Hey,” Katelyn responded, trying to pull away and finding her stepmom was too strong for her. “What are you doing,” she demanded as Rosemary dragged her toward a chair.

“Something I thought I’d done for the last time five years ago.”

“What? You can’t spank me!” Weak words from the twenty-year-old being dragged across her stepmom’s knee.

“O really?” SPANK!

“Hey!” SPANK! “Ow! Stop! That hurts!”

“It’s supposed to hurt. It’s a spanking. Just like he’s wearing a diaper and is using it exactly like a diaper is supposed to be used.” SPANK SPANK SPANK SPANK SPANK!

“That’s not even – OUCH! – the same OW! Lemme go!” Rosemary didn’t even slow down as she landed spank after spank after spank.

“Not until you’ve had a little reminder about what happens when you tease.”

“I’m too old to be spanked!” And yet, she was being spanked. Hard.

“And you said he’s too told to be in diapers, but there he is wearing a full diaper, so I guess you’ve been wrong about who’s too old for what twice today.”

“What are you even – OW! Mom! OW! Mommy, at least not in front of him!” Bertie sat there on the couch, wide-eyed and trying to suppress a smile that was threatening to spread from ear to ear. She was just mean, and he was glad to see her get taught a lesson. He was no stranger to being turned over a knee himself, but at least he never made fun of anyone.

“He gets to watch because it was him you made fun of. Besides, you saw his diaper change.”

“Cuz Aunt Maureen changes him on the floor wherever like he’s a friggin’ baby! Owowowowow! Stop! He’s looking!”

“And he’s about to get an eyeful.” Rosemary didn’t hesitate as she reached for the waistband on Katelyn’s shorts and yanked them down past her bottom. From past experience, she expected Katelyn’s kicking and squirming would work them all the way down to her ankles as, and likely as not she’d kick them off entirely. Just as well since Katelyn would be doing her corner time bare bottom.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Rosemary replied as she spanked and spanked and spanked away. “Your panties didn’t make fun of him. Why would I spank those?”

“I’m sorry,” a sniffling Katelyn said, growing desperate to stop the humiliating, painful spanking. “Okay? I said I was sorry.”

“Nice try. You might not be sorry yet, but you will be when you’re a well-spanked little girl. Bertie, could you please bring me the hairbrush Maureen keeps in your diaper bag for when you make naughty choices?”

“Nooooo,” Katelyn cried, remembering exactly what a hairbrush felt like when applied rapidly to her butt like it was about to be.

“Yes, and then it’s corner time until you’re ready to apologize for real and change his diaper.” Rosemary paused to accept the hairbrush from Bertie, who returned to his prime spot on the couch, feeling the warm mess squish under him as he settled in, glad to be the audience and not the spankee for once.

Rosemary leaned down closer to Katelyn’s face, giving the hairbrush an intimidating shake as she said, “And Bertie won’t be the only person wearing a diaper at the wedding tomorrow. You're going to learn some empathy.”

Before Katelyn could ask if her stepmother was serious, the hairbrush exploded on her bare bottom. All she could get out was, “Waaaaaaah!”