Falling Slowly

The first chapter of many planned. Hopefully, you guys like it!

She was tall. Pretty. Maybe 40 years of age, and well-dressed enough to reflect the money that her home had already demonstrated. The estate was maybe only a ten minute drive from the university downtown, but the yard was large and the home was connected to the road by a long driveway that wound through the trees. From here, on the stoop, one could barely tell they had neighbors.

"Nick! It's so wonderful to finally meet you." she said, shaking his hand vigorously before pulling him in for a hug.

"Great to meet you too-" he replied, a bit taken back by her enthusiasm. "Honestly, just glad I could find a place so last minute."

His last apartment had been bought out, and the new owners had proceeded with early evictions. Nick had been planning to move out within a few months anyway when he went off to college, but they were scheduled to begin demolition in April, and finding an available apartment in this college town in February had been difficult. Finding this place a twenty minute bus ride from his school had been a lifesaver. Of course, he'd have half a year before the semester started, but his work was remote, and he didn't have all that many friends to leave behind anyway. Most of them had headed off to various colleges three years ago after high school graduation. Nick, lacking the grades for a scholarship, had remained behind to save for a few years.

"Oh, I'm just glad I can be of some help. Please, come in. Can I help you with your bags?" She grabbed one from his hands without waiting for approval, and he followed her inside.

The interior was equally impressive. High ceilings, nice wooden floors, and a dark, cozy color scheme that gave faint impressions of a log cabin. The sort that rich people buy.

"You have a beautiful home." he said.

"Oh, thank you, you're too kind. I'm quite happy with it as well." Julie replied. "Please, let me show you to your room."

The home was quite large. Julie didn't seem inclined to give the tour, but he was sure he'd see the rest of the home later. He was quickly led to the basement down a narrow flight of stairs.

Past two doors--one at the bottom of the stairs, and one immediately after on the right hand of the hall--was Nick's new room. To say he was impressed would be an understatement.

Apparently, the yard in the back of the home fell away, allowing this basement room to have large, beautiful windows. The theme was consistent with the rest of the home. Dark wood floors, a large bad at one wall, and a television on top of a dresser. At the back corner, Nick spotted an open door that led to a personal bathroom. Another door led straight into the backyard. He would have his own entrance.

"Oh, this is perfect. I can't say thank you enough."

Julie shrugged. "Honestly honey, I'm just happy that we were able to help you find a place. Criminal what they did you back in your hometown." She had a slight southern drawl to her voice.

"To be honest, if it means I get to stay here, I'm almost glad it happened. I can't believe you didn't have a dozen students scrambling to get this place."

"Oh, we usually do. We had a girl for quite some time, but she had an illness in the family that she needed to go home and tend to. We were sad to see her go, of course, but at least the odd timing meant you didn't have to go homeless."

Nick nodded. Julie put her hands on her hips. "Well, I'll let you get unpacked. Feel free to look around. Dinner is at 6:30 sharp. We can go over house rules more at the table."

"That's perfect. I'll be up by then." Nick replied. Julie nodded, and marched back up the stairs.

Honestly, Nick could not believe his luck. This place was as perfect as anything he could have asked for. The room was spacious--certainly more than large enough to house his sparse possessions. The rent was affordable, though he was sure that Julie could charge much more than she was charging him. Things were finally going his way, it seemed.

---

Dinner looked fantastic. Julie was still cooking over the stovetop when he ascended the stairs at 6:15, but much of the meal was laid out on the table.

"Oh, hello Nick. I thought we'd do something a little fancier tonight. You like salmon, I hope?"

"Of course," he said, taking his seat. "Can I help in any way?"

"No, no, get comfortable. Tell me a bit about yourself, Nick? I know we spoke on the phone, but I feel as though I barely know you."

And so the two of them chatted. Nick spoke about the recent passing of his father. His mother had not been part of the picture growing up, so his death had left Nick parentless at the age of 19. He'd been getting by, and neighbors had certainly been helpful in picking up some of the slack, but it had been two years now, and he felt it was time to get out of town. College had seemed like a natural option.

Julie spoke about herself as well. She had been married once, but only for a few years, and it was quite some time ago. Her career had gotten in the way of the relationship, and Julie had learned too late the importance of taking breaks from her unceasing work. She didn't have hard feelings, and the two of them were on speaking terms, but he lived a few towns over with his new wife and several children. Some years ago, she'd sold her business, and still did some consulting with the company, but her role was far less important than it once had been.

Dinner went well. The food was delicious, though Julie noted that it probably wouldn't be this fancy every night. Conversation flowed easily, and Nick felt extremely good about his situation.

Perhaps thirty minutes into the meal, Julie took a deep breath. "So, while I know this isn't the most fun thing to discuss, there are a few rules I expect you to observe while you stay here."

Nick perked up. "Of course."

"I am, of course, very happy to have you here. I usually try to have a student boarder at any given time. It keeps the home from feeling too empty. That said, this house does require some maintenance, and given that I'm renting out the room far below market rates, I expect some of that gap to be filled with help around the house."

Nick nodded. He'd expected as much.

She went on to list several chores that she expected help with. It was nothing crazy--dishes, vacuuming, bathrooms, etc. There was really only one that made Nick perk up. Julie stated sharply, "Lastly, I have two very important requests. First, you need to keep your room clean. I don't plan to spend much time there at all, but it's important to me that you make your bed each morning, and keep it tidy each night. I'm not concerned about perfection here, but I won't have a pigsty accumulating in my basement. It's unseemly, even if it is your room."

Nick nodded again. "Not a problem." He was a decently clean person, though he did find it odd she cared so much.

"Second, there's a few other rooms in the basement that I don't want you wandering around in. Feel free to go anywhere on the first or second story, but in the basement, please stay out of the other doors. I keep all my storage back there, and I like to keep it private. Alright?

"Not a problem."

"Good. Then I don't think we'll have any issues at all."

"Looking forward to it."

---

That evening, Nick was on his laptop, deeply involved in a game, when he heard a knock at his door.

"Come in."

Julie entered, holding a glass in her hand. "Sorry to bother you. I just thought I'd bring you some milk before I go to bed and make sure you're getting settled. Everything going okay?"

Nick paused the music playing from his TV. "Absolutely. It's as perfect as anything I could have asked for."

"Good, good. Here you go. I know it might not be a habit of yours, but a glass of milk before bed always helps me fall asleep." She held her hand out to him, glass in hand.

He took it, somewhat hesitantly, and was about to set it on the nightstand before realizing she looked as if she was waiting for him to return the glass. "Oh, come on. She's being sweet," he thought to himself. He put it to his lips and began to drink.

Nick wasn't a huge fan of milk, but this glass was different. He started cautiously, but about halfway through the glass, he realized something. "This is incredible."

Far and away, this was the best thing he'd ever drunk. It was sweet in all the right ways, but not overpowering. He could feel his body relaxing as the cold liquid rushed down into his stomach. Before he knew it, and far too soon, the glass was gone.

"Wow, you really liked that!" Julie said, clearly pleased with herself.

"Yeah, what's in it? That was delicious."

"Oh, I just pick it up at this amazing grocery store in town. Its locally produced and all that, but honestly I just buy it because it tastes good. I'm so glad you enjoyed it."

Nick nodded, still craving more, but somehow embarrassed to ask. "Thank you, Julie."

"Of course Nick. Have a good night."

"Good night, Julie."

Julie stepped out of the room, leaving Nick alone with his thoughts. His eyelids were dropping. He looked at the clock. 11:30.

"I should get some sleep." He put the laptop away, and rolled into his covers. This was going to be the first good year in a while.

---

Nick woke with the early morning sun glinting through his windows, filtered by the large trees that dotted the backyard. He'd forgotten to shut the curtains last night--not a mistake he'd make again.

For a moment he just lay there, basking in the sunlight warming his room. This bed was so comfortable. So soft, so cool, so-

"Is that.... water?" he thought to himself. He thought he felt moisture.

He threw back his covers, and sure enough, there was a dark stain on his shorts, stretching perhaps 4 or five inches in every direction. He had wet the bed.

"What the hell..." he said, astounded that he had pissed himself for the first time in over a decade. "What happened?"

He stood up, and groaned at the small wet patch on the bed sheets. It looked like the comforter would be okay, but he had almost certainly stained the mattress. A quick pull of the sheets confirmed his worst fears.

The next several minutes were spent balling up the sheets, his clothing, and the comforter (just to be safe) into the laundry basket and scrubbing at the mattress with a couple of rags he'd found in the bathroom. He'd need more than this if he wanted to do a decent job, but he didn't know where any of the chemicals were. If he asked Julie, would she suspect something was wrong? He didn't want to make a bad impression so early on into their relationship, but he also knew the laundry machines were upstairs.

It turns out his worries were overly optimistic, for she would find out without him ever leaving his room. While he was hard at work, scrubbing the mattress, he heard a knock at his door.

"Nick? I'm sorry if I'm too early, but are you awake? Can I talk to you for just a moment?

Nick sighed. "Yeah, one sec." He shouldn't try to be dishonest anyway. Maybe she would appreciate the candor if he didn't try to hide what had happened.

He tossed on some sweatpants, fully aware he hadn't yet showered and his crotch was still not clean. "More laundry, I suppose."

He opened the door, and Julie smiled at him. "Good morning Nick. I'm so sorry, I was planning on making you breakfast, but I need to go take care of something at work. An emergency came up that they need me for and... what happened?" Her eyes fell on the basket full of wadded up bedding, and then spotted the mattress, sheetless, in the background.

She stepped in, not asking for permission, and strode straight over to the bed, observing the still obvious stain on the mattress. "Did you..."

"I'm so sorry Julie. I don't know what happened. I was trying to clean it, but I probably need something stronger than a couple of rags."

Julie nodded. She was clearly annoyed, but she didn't look too angry. "No, no, that's alright. I can point you to some cleaner, though I don't think you'll be able to get all of it out. This has sat for far too long now."

Nick understood her frustration. She had obviously spent a lot of money on this room, and he had done damage on his first night.

She opened her mouth to question him again. "Is this a... problem that we should be worried about?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"No, no," Nick replied, probably too eagerly to be believable. "Honestly, this hasn't happened in years. I don't know what's going on but.... No. You don't need to worry about this being a regular thing. And I'll try my best to clean everything up before you get home."

"Thank you Nick. I'm obviously concerned about something like this, but so long as you say it won't be a regular issue, I think we can forget it ever happened."

Nick breathed an internal sigh of relief.

---

The clean up had gone fairly smoothly. Julie had returned sometime afterwards from work, and had made dinner for the two of them. It was tacos this time. The day had passed uneventfully--neither of them had had any notable experiences at work--so the conversation once again revolved around backgrounds. Julie hadn't been explicit about it, but given the way that she spoke about her lifestyle, Nick could infer that she had a lot of money.

Near the close of dinner, Julie took a deep breath again--the sort she took before saying something she didn't want to say.

"So, I picked something up at the store today."

"Yeah?" Nick asked, through a mouthful of food.

"I bought a protective sheet. I want you to put it on the bed tonight."

Nick almost choked, but held it together. He swallowed soon after. "Protective? Like a rubber sheet?"

Julie nodded. "Exactly like that."

Nick was taken aback. He already felt awful about this morning. Now though, he felt it was being blown out of proportion. "Julie, I promise you, it won't happen again."

"I know Nick, I know. I just want it on there just in case. I know you're in a new place, and while I understand you've not wet the bed in several years, I also know that a change in environment can often lead to other unexpected changes in the body."

"She really thinks I'm going to wet the bed." It stung him to hear her talk about it so bluntly, but he knew she was being reasonable.

She continued. "It will only be for a day or two. Just to make sure there won't be any further problems."

Nick nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

Julie smiled, and reached into some grocery bags near her seat, pulling out a large box. "It's in here. I'll leave it to you to install, if that's okay. I have some things to take care of."

---

The sheet had been pretty easy to put on the bed. It wasn't that big of a deal, or at least that's what Nick kept telling himself. It was louder, more crinkly, and he would almost certainly be hotter lying on it, but he would get by. "Besides, its only temporary."

At around the same time as the night prior, a knock came at the door. Nick called to enter, and Julie stepped in, glass of milk in hand.

"Oh good, that looks wonderful. Thank you for doing this Nick. I know how embarrassing this must be for you."

"Of course," Nick said.

"I brought you another glass of milk. Would you like some?"

"Boy, would I?" Nick thought to himself, but he took it from Julie in a much less enthusiastic fashion. The glass went quickly, and he handed the dish back to Julie. "Thank you."

"Of course Nick. Have a good night."

---

Morning came slower this time, as Nick had remembered to close the curtains. Sunlight still peeked through at the corners, but the room was much dimmer, and thus, much easier to sleep in.

The clock face showed 10:30 when Nick finally opened his groggy eyes. He'd not stayed up late the night prior--he'd fallen asleep soon after Julie had brought him the milk--and it was uncharacteristic of him to sleep in this late. Perhaps the recent travel had finally caught up to him, he supposed.

Then came a memory of the morning prior, like a thunderbolt. His hand jumped to his crotch.

"Shit." he thought to himself. He was definitely wet.

He jumped out of bed, throwing back the covers. The puddle was even larger this morning, though this possibly had something to do with the sheet not being absorbent. Likely for the same reason, the comforter had definitely taken some damage this time.

"Shit, shit shit, shit." He repeated to himself as he stripped himself of his sodden sweatpants. "What will Julie think?"

He practically sprinted into the attached bathroom, and jumped into the shower, scrubbing at himself with everything he could muster. It had been years since he'd last wet the bed. Now, two days in a row? What was wrong with him?

He jumped out of the shower with a slightly calmer heart rate. There was nothing he could do about it now. Julie would certainly be suspicious if he tried to wash his comforter again today for no particular reason, and he didn't see an alternative to cleaning the situation up before she would see it. All he could do was tell her, and pray she didn't kick him out.

He wouldn't have to wait long for her to find out, it would turn out. He emerged from the bathroom, luckily wrapped in a towel, to see Julie standing over his sheet, a disappointed look on her face.

"Wha-What are you doing in here?" Nick asked.

Julie turned to face him. She was angry, but she was good at maintaining her calm. "Nick, I thought you said this wouldn't be a problem."

He wanted to ask why she'd barged into his room unannounced, but it didn't really feel like the right time for that line of argument. Instead, he hung his head. "I'm sorry Julie. It hasn't happened in years, and I don't know what else to say. If you need me to find another place to stay, I understand."

Julie tapped her foot angrily, but did not reply. Armed with a few chemicals she'd brought down, she began scrubbing at the rubber sheet. "Take those to the washer." she said, gesturing at his once-again-full laundry basket. He hastily obeyed.

On his return, he jumped into the bathroom to put on some real clothes, but when he emerged, Julie was gone. Apparently she'd finished.

He performed a cursory search of the house, but noticed her car in the garage was gone. "Great." Now he'd have to sit on the ambiguity of his housing's fate until she came home.

---

Nick heard Julie's car enter the garage a few long hours later. Out of penance, Nick had spent the time cleaning the house the best he could. Julie kept a tidy home, but there had been a few things Nick had been able to dust or organize.

When Julie entered the house, her arms were laden with several large bags. Had she gone shopping?

"Nick! Good, you're here. Please take a seat." she said, gesturing to the dining table. She seemed to be in a better mood. He sat, and she joined him after setting the bags on the counter.

"Julie, I'm so so-" She cut off his apology.

"Nick, it is okay. I'm not going to kick you out."

At this, he breathed a visible sigh of relief. Finding housing right now would be a nightmare, and he had absolutely no connections in this city. Frankly, he'd spent part of the last few hours combing housing forums, and had been very discouraged by the lack of availability.

Julie continued though. "We are going to have to set a few rules, though, if you are going to continue to live here."

Nick nodded. He didn't have a lot of options at this point.

She reached into one of the bags, and held up something white and puffy. "I'm going to need you to wear these at night. I can't have the bed ruined, and frankly, I think this is more than a fair solution."

"Diapers? You want me to wear diapers? Julie, I'm twenty-one-" Again, she cut him off.

"I understand that Nick. But you must also understand the situation I am in. If I kick you out right now, I doubt you will find suitable housing. If this problem of yours continues, your options will be even more limited. Correct?"