At Least Mom Made it... Kind Of

"She's more into math and science. She thinks sports are dumb." Aubry had a wide smile on her face, ribbing her friend playfully

"I didn't say that!" Jessica playfully gave Aubry a light push, matching her smile.

Aubry turned her attention back to the cashier

"No, but I think we should have some merch, and it's not like we want to pay the prices at the stadium, you know?"

The man agreed and nodded while typing on the computer, searching the inventory of the store. Aubry leaned forward over the counter, accenting her boobs.

"You think I should get a top too?"

"Uhh..." The man was taken aback, he coughed nervously "Um...well the store could use the business but I don't know."

Aubry looked over to Jessica and giggled. Jessica's eyes were wide, she disapproved of her friends act.

"Uh, Miss? I think I have one, maybe two hats in the back."

"Oh! Great, thank you!"

The man waddled towards the back, and Jessica pulled her friends arm.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"You know!" Jessica motioned towards her own breasts, but was reluctant to touch them or repeat the tease that her friend had done.

Aubry smiled "I'll tell you at lunch. I want to buy a pair of shorts too, we should hit up the store across from the food court."

Jessica looked at her phone "I want something to wear too, but we don't have a ton of time left."

At that moment, the overweight man waddled from the backroom towards the counter, proudly holding a cap in his sweaty hand.

"Last one! Maybe ever. These don't really sell."

"Oh! Perfect thank you!" Aubry excitedly clapped her hands and took the hat from the man.

She paid for the hat and made more small talk with the man behind the counter. Jessica stayed quiet, not really knowing what to say. She looked at her phone, confirming that they had enough time to shop and eat before her mom came back. Aubry started walking, thanking the man for his time.

Exiting the store, the two friends cut through the foot traffic in the mall and reached the upward escalator. As they rode up to the second floor, Aubrey felt the first nudge from her bladder, a gentle reminder that she had not gone since that morning.

"Jess, did I tell you about this new drink I've been trying in the morning?"

Jessica shook her head

"It's super good! Ton of electrolytes and no sugar, so its super good for you."

"Probably doesn't taste good."

"No. You're right, it doesn't taste good. That not the point."

"But when you said it was super good-"

"I meant that it was super good for you!"

The two reached the top of the escalator and stepped off. The large walking space in front of them was the only thing blocking their access to the large clothing store that anchored the mall. Excitedly, the two friends entered the large store, Aubry was sure she'd have time to use the restroom before they left for the game.

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As their food finally came, Laura ordered some wine. Jennifer commented

"Aren't you going to be driving?"

"Yeah but a little wine won't hurt."

"Are you going to have a beer at the game?"

"Well sure, but it's mostly water anyway. Theo usually complains about it."

Jennifer twirled her spaghetti and asked before chewing "How are things with your husband?"

"Good. Really good honestly. I wonder if he took some sort of class or seminar or something. But he's been great lately." Laura cut some of her eggplant parmesan

"Must be nice." Jennifer took another bite of her spaghetti and a drink from her glass

"Nice?"

"You know, to have someone. It's impossible to date at my age."

"Your age? C'mon Jen, you're talking like you're a hundred years old."

Jennifer shrugged "I just wish I had a guy...who was there, you know? A guy that I could just ask questions, or..." A look of sadness washed over Jennifer's face.

"You'll find someone. You're cute, have a good job. Why not one of the guys in the office?" The waiter came back with the wine. "Thank you"

"I don't know. Wouldn't guys find it a bit." Jennifer paused, looking for the right word "I don't know, creepy? Their old boss comes over and starts flirting with them."

"I think the right guy would be into it. Maybe this is too much for you but one night Theo and I did this boss and employee roleplay. He was an animal."

Laura looked down at her food as she cut another piece, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she remembered that night. Silence came back over the two as they both ate, their meals dwindling on their plate. Jennifer cut into her last meatball. Pushing the meat to the side in her mouth she stated

"I don't want that though. I...really want what you have." She finished chewing "And I can't."

"A man?" Laura looked confused

"Kids."

"It's a lot of work-"

"But isn't it fulfilling? Sure I'm positive you have your troubles, but Jess is about to go to college, and Amanda I'm sure will do fine."

Laura laughed "Here's why you don't want kids. Do you know what Amanda did to me last night?"

Jennifer took a sip from her sparkling water. "Do tell"

"So I had a ton of errands to run yesterday. Nothing special, just a lot." Laura took finished the rest of her wine. "About halfway through, I had to pee."

Jennifer laughed awkwardly at her friends candid nature. Laura continued

"I get home, start cooking. I figured I'd just go after I got dinner ready, the girls usually take their time when I call them anyway, you know? Of course, this time they were ready immediately. And Maybe its my fault, I could have gone before we started but I guess I just didn't feel like it."

Laura finished her eggplant. She took another drink of water, paused, and took another drink, emptying the glass.

"Anyway, I was about to get up and go when Theo called. So then of course I answer like a good wife. But the whole time I'm like: okay, I've got to pee. Then of course, Jess starts washing the dishes and I felt like I was about to pee my pants."

Their waiter came by to refill Laura's water. He seemed a little embarrassed as he picked up the tail end of their conversation. Jennifer noticed his blush and added

"Maybe watch how much you give her!"

The two friends laughed and Jennifer grabbed his arm lightly, which he pulled away from.

"Would you two ladies like any dessert?"

"No, we're on a time thing. Can we actually just get the check?" Laura looked at her phone as the waiter nodded and left

"Yeah, I got to pick up the girls in like twenty."

Jennifer motioned for her to continue her story "So you peed your pants last night-"

"No, I felt like I was going to. I didn't. Anyway, I'm talking to Theo and Jess finishes the dishes, whatever. Then she gets in the bathroom and I'm thinking, oh great."

The waiter placed the check down in the middle of the table and left

"I get off the phone, go up the bathroom and Amanda is standing there too. Now, we have a thin door, so-" She leaned over the table, and Jennifer instinctively leaned in as well. In a whisper, Laura added "we can hear Jess peeing".

As she pulled back from the table, Laura cleared her throat. It was a little embarrassing

"Anyway, at this point I'm struggling, and I'm basically holding myself. So I say to Amanda 'sweetheart, mom's going next'. And I can see her roll her eyes but she doesn't say anything. So I go in next and Jessica comes out."

The waiter took the check along with Jennifer's credit card. She paid for the entire meal.

"I get in there, I finally start going, and you know how it feels when you wait a long time and then finally get to go."

Jennifer nodded and raised her eyebrows "Sounds familiar" she chuckled to herself

"Alright so I'm going and I hear Amanda, complaining about me through that door. She ends up arguing with me while I'm peeing. Like its coming out of me, and I'm having to tell her that I can't wait forever. Like does she think that once I become a mom I don't have to pee ever again?"

Jennifer smiled. Laura continued

"She tells me that I'm over dramatic and that I can wait a few extra minutes for her, and that I 'always do this to her'. Like, what does she know?"

Jennifer shrugged "Maybe she has a point."

"How?"

"I mean, you could have gone while you were out. You didn't need to wait until you got home."

"Ugh. No, I hate public bathrooms. I think I'd rather pee in my pants than use one. If you ever hear me even suggest it, it probably means it's too late already."

"So how does all this make me not want to have kids?"

"I don't know. You don't have to deal with all of this I guess."

"That it? That's the reason?"

Laura shrugged "No, I love them both. It's just exhausting sometimes. Speaking of which-" She looked at her phone "I gotta pick up Jess and her friend."

The two friends stood and gave each other a hug, Laura added

"Thanks for lunch. We should do this more often!"

"We really should!"

The two stood awkwardly for a moment, Laura expecting Jennifer to walk out with her, but Jennifer admitted

"Oh, I um...have to go again. And I'm not going to drive through that construction. Call me when you guys get home!"

The two gave each other a good bye and parted for the day. Jennifer walked back towards the restroom for the second time that day, and Laura walked to the front door. As she stepped out into the late spring sunlight, she was glad they were seated when they did.

A line of people were either sitting on the provided benches or standing in front of the podium to check reservations. The same hostess that had seated them was standing behind it, her legs jittered as she read back the last name of whoever was next in line. Laura thought nothing of it as she walked to her car and climbed back in. Full of her favorite food and thoroughly hydrated, she was ready to hit the road.

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With a bundle of clothes on each arm, both Jessica and Aubry waited in line for the changing rooms to open up. Aubry no longer felt like she had to go. Distracted by shopping and the prospect of a new outfit, her minor need was pushed to the side. A door opened and Jessica went in first, a bundle of short but conservative clothes in her arms. The next door that opened went to Aubry.

Closing the door behind her, Aubry set her clothes down on the bench and took her top off. Her noticeably large breasts were hidden behind her red bra. She tried on a white sleeveless top first. She liked it, but the red of her bra poked through. She could only imagine how incredulous her mother would be if she saw her wearing it. She put it in the "buy" pile.

Jessica looked around nervously for a camera. The thought that the mall even allowed security cameras to point into the changing rooms made her uncomfortable. Leaving her top on, she used her hands and the mirror to check the dimensions of the T-shirt. It was grey, and went well with the dark denim jeans she was currently wearing. She decided to buy it.

Aubry was down to her last potential purchase. A pair of short jeans. They were light, and didn't go much farther down than her thighs. Her small butt was covered completly, but just barely. They were a tight fit, and she could feel them digging into her waistline. But they were tight, nearly looked painted on, and that's what she wanted.

As Aubry stepped out of the changing room with her new outfit, she felt the urge to pee come back. Still subtle, it was a reminder that she needed to ease the building liquid in her bladder. The tight shorts weren't helping. She met Jessica and the two walked towards the cashier.

"Wow. Those are...short." Jessica commented

"I know. I love them!"

"But won't people stare?"

Aubrey smiled as she walked towards the counter "Maybe I want them to."

Unlike the first time, the feeling of a filling bladder was not leaving Aubry. She attributed it to her new shorts. Whatever the cause was, she knew that she should go before they left for the game. As she and Jessica paid and left the clothing store, she started to walk towards the restrooms that were right next to the food court. Jessica looked down at her phone

"If we're going to eat anything, we need to now. Mom's already on her way."

"Um...okay."

Aubry glanced over to the restrooms, a small but manageable line out front. She hadn't eaten yet, and lunch sounded just as enticing.

The two split, Jessica ventured over to an Asian restaurant and Aubry went towards the only eatery that claimed to have food that was somewhat healthy. She stood in line tapping her foot and distracting herself with her phone, the dull urge to use the restroom staying with her.

Jessica was the first one to find a table. As she sipped her iced tea and took ravenous bites of her food, she couldn't help but look at her longtime friend waiting in line. Her new shorts were not something that Jessica would ever wear herself, nor would she have expected Aubry to wear them. Her own jeans were tighter than she would have normally worn, but she figured that the dark color stood out less. Eventually, Aubry came over with her food, a salad and a water bottle. The plastic bottle was dwarfed by Jessica's large plastic cup.

"Water and a salad? I thought you said you were hungry?"

"I am. But I'm calorie cutting, so this is the best I can do."

"Calorie cutting?" Jessica worried

"Yeah. Got down to about a thousand a day."

"Isn't that a little unhealthy?"

"I've been fat. That's unhealthy too."

"I read-"

Aubry put her hand up. Obviously, Jessica had struck a nerve.

"I know. My mother says the same thing every time. But I'm not being unhealthy. I just don't eat anything but lunch."

"That is unhealthy."

"No it isn't. Not if you do it right."

The two were quiet. Jessica took a long sip from her drink, the fluid still amounting to much more than Aubry's water bottle. Aubry continued

"Besides. I'm having a hot dog, a pretzel and a soda at the game. I can't pig out now."

"I just don't get why you're starving yourself."

"I'm not! Besides, I like being healthy. People pay attention to me now, especially boys. Did you see the guy behind the counter?"

"Oh that creep would have looked at any girl like that. And you did that whole show, of course he was looking at you!"

"But it's not just him. Guys hold the door open for me. Even girls at school are nicer."

"Is that why you started sitting with that cheerleader at lunch?"

"Jamie? N-no. We just started studying together. That's all!" Aubry blushed, her white skin turning a light shade of red "Look, can we talk about something else? I hated being fat, and I like feeling human again. That's all."

Unsure why her friend was so defensive, Jessica backed off and took another long drink from her iced tea. Aubry did the same with her water. Jessica's phone buzzed as she received a text from her mother.

"Woah! Mom's gonna be here in like 5. We gotta go!" Jessica scrambled to finish the last of her lunch and downed the rest of her tea.

"Ok, let me just-"

Jessica started to pack up her things. "We don't have time, the entrance is on the other side!"

Aubrey followed suit, tossing the rest of her salad into the trash and downing her water bottle in one gulp. She walked quickly to catch up to her friend, taking a glance at the line for the restroom as they passed it.

This is a bad idea she thought

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As Laura swung the car around the entrance to the mall, she scanned the crowd for her daughter. She couldn't see either of them, and decided to stop the car in the large circular driveway. She briefly searched around the clean car for her phone, before grabbing it off of the passenger seat. Looking up she saw her daughter and her friend leaving the mall. She was proud of Jessica for being on time for once and smiled as she watched her daughter throw a large plastic cup into the garbage and make their way to the car.

"Right on time girls!"

"Hey Mrs. F!" Aubry gave a chipper greeting as she climbed into the car, Jessica climbed in the other side

"Hi Aubry. You look ready!" Luara started to drive as the two friends put their seatbelts on

"Just got the hat today. I was telling Jess that there's nothing like a baseball game. You ready?"

Laura smiled at the girls enthusiasm "Of course. I like your top by the way."

Aubrey smiled back without saying a word. Without Laura noticing, she elbowed Jessica as if to say I told you so. As they drove away from the mall, Aubry studied Laura. Her yellow pants stood out and contrasted well with her white sleeveless blouse. Concededly, or perhaps for another reason, Aubry glanced at the older woman's chest, then to Jessica's. Whether it was out of a sense of superiority, a opportunity to get her mind off of her growing need to pee, or something else entirely, she didn't know. Whatever it was, it helped distract her for the moment.

"Something different about hotdogs and pretzels at a ballgame, you know?"

No one responded. Aubry sat, she looking out the back window. Time had passed, but exactly how much, she didn't know. The towns, trees and fields that they passed all blended together. The only constant was the building pressure in her bladder. It reprimanded her for keeping quiet in the mall. Aubry expressed her regret with a sigh

"I should have peed at the mall."

Jessica looked over to her friend

"Mom, are we gonna stop anywhere?"

Aubry jumped in, her love for sports still overriding her anatomical need

"No, I'd rather be there for the whole game. Don't feel like you need to stop for me."

Laura looked in the rearview mirror. Aubry didn't look all that distressed aside from her swinging legs in the back seat. She glanced at her daughter, who seemed to be more interested in whatever was out of the window than stopping. Still, Laura wanted to give them the opportunity.

"Are you sure Aubry? It's going to be twenty or so minutes."

"Yeah, no, I'll be fine. Might have to find a bush or something after the game."

Jessica whipped her head away from the window, her mouth agape at such a suggestion. Aubry gave more context

"Hardly any of the stalls have doors. I'd really only use one if I had to."

"No doors?"

The very idea seemed to make Jessica squirm in her seat. Gently, she place a hand against her crotch

"Is that even allowed? That has to be a rumor or something."

"Uh, no." Aubry laughed awkwardly "I um...have firsthand experience."

Jessica's eyes went wide "How is that even allowed? Don't we have some right to privacy?"

"I think they did it after that woman got alcohol poisoning. Maybe it's like a safety thing?"

Jessica squirmed and crossed her legs in her seat, it went unnoticed by everyone else in the car

"So like...everyone watched you pee?"

"Well no, it wasn't me." Aubrey sighed "It was my mom. She had said that she needed to go before the game started, and we waited forever in line. Like long enough to miss the National Anthem and the first pitch."

"How did you miss the first pitch and all of that because of her?" Laura asked from her driver's seat

"I said because we were waiting in that big long line."

"She made you wait in line too?"

"Well no. I...had to go too." Aubry shifted in her seat, remembering the event. "But when we got to the stall, only like one or two of them had doors."

The conversation seemed to end. Neither Laura nor Jessica needed to hear that much more of the story. Especially Jessica, who was privately starting to regret not going at the mall as well. Aubry's warning about the stalls without doors didn't sit well with her either. It was bad enough that their bathroom at their home had a thin door, but the prospect of other people directly seeing her was a predicament she did not want to be a part of.

"Mom, are you sure we shouldn't stop?"