Kafran
“Did you have fun, Little one?” I ask Mercy as I push her stroller away from the park.
“Yes, Papi. Thank you for making me do that. They were all so nice.”
Skarg is walking backward in front of us, and he winks at her. “See? We told you everyone would be kind.”
She squirms in the seat. “Can you take this thing out of me now?”
Skarg chuckles. “No, but you should consider adjusting your attitude before we get to Ekert and Sophie’s house. If you speak disrespectfully to either of us or either of them, we won’t hesitate to take your diaper off and spank your naughty bottom where everyone can see that you’re also wearing a thick plug inside you.”
I lean over the top of the stroller to see her purse her lips and humph. She’s adorable every second of the day, even when she’s naughty. It’s really hard to keep a straight face when she’sgrumbling. Her pleading will never cause either of us to give in, but it might make us chuckle frequently.
It doesn’t take long to get to Ekert’s house, and once again her stress level is palpable. I pick her up and settle her on my hip as Skarg knocks on the front door.
She grips my neck for dear life as Ekert answers the door. I’ve heard he’s very good at helping soothe a Little girl’s fears, so I’m hoping that will be the case today. We won’t force her to get her nipples pierced on this visit. We’re here primarily to see the stones and help her learn to accept the idea.
“Hey there. You must be Mercy,” Ekert says as he backs up to let us all into the house.
“Yes, Sir,” she mumbles, remembering her manners.
He shakes my hand and then Skarg’s before nodding toward a door to one side. “Come on into the shop. Sophie’s in there. She’s really excited to meet you.”
I’ve met Sophie a few times. She’s a cheerful blond who jumps up from a Little-girl-sized table when we enter. She skips toward us. “You’re here.”
Mercy swallows hard as I squat down to set her on her feet, keeping her between my thighs. “Hi,” she says quietly to Sophie.
Sophie beams. “Your Papis thought the anzerine stone would look amazing on you, and now that I see you, I agree. I picked out the perfect set. Want to see them?”
“Yes, please,” our girl says, trembling.
I release her and resume standing, letting her follow Sophie toward the small table. What a neat idea. We should consider ordering a Mercy-sized table for the corner of the kitchen. That way she could color or paint without us worrying about her falling from sitting up too high. So far we’ve only let her sit strapped into her highchair, and even then we keep a close eye on her.
Mercy pulls out a chair and grins. “It’s my size. I’ve never seen a table and chairs like this.”
Sophie giggles. “Yeah, Papi had it made. Christine’s Papi, Strogan, makes furniture.”
“I met Christine at the park,” Mercy tells Sophie.
“Oh fun. She’s super sweet. But really everyone here is sweet. I love that I get to meet every new mate a few weeks after they arrive because I also help choose their stones.”
“You choose them?” Mercy’s eyes widen.
Ekert steps behind Sophie and sets his hands on her shoulders. “Turns out Sophie has a very keen eye for gemstones. She’s invaluable.”
Sophie flushes. “Papi… It’s no big deal.” Changing the subject, she points toward a tray in the middle of the table. “See what you think about these.”
Mercy leans over the tray as Sophie pushes it closer to her. “Oh wow. What did you say they’re called?”
“Anzerine. It comes in many colors depending on where it’s mined on the planet, so your Papis thought it would be nice if you had two different stones to represent each of them.” She points toward the two nipple rings.
“Oh, they’re really pretty,” Mercy whispers.
“You can pick them up,” Sophie tells her.
“That’s okay. I wouldn’t want to risk dropping them.”
I lean around my Little girl from behind, wrapping my arms around her so I can reach the stones. I lift up the two hoops and stare at how the light hits the various facets, making them sparkle.
