“Promise?” I murmur, slowly falling asleep.
“Daddy promises he isn’t going anywhere,” he repeats, and I let myself fall asleep against him.
***
I move my head back and forth, feeling the blanket against my cheek.
“So soft,” I mumble.
I move my hands around, and my eyes shoot open. When I look around, Daddy is nowhere in sight, and I’m back in my kennel. Tears run down my cheeks.
“Daddy!” I call out as I look around, trying to find him. “Daddy!”
My breathing picks up, my skin feels like it’s crawling with each passing second.
“I’m right here.” He walks into the room.
“Daddy!” I whimper.
Panic flies across his face, and he quickly comes toward me, opening the top of the kennel and picking me up straight away.
“You’re okay. I’m right here,” he whispers.
“Where did you go?” I ask. “You said you were never going to leave me.”
“Daddy had to go put on a different shirt,” he informs me.
“Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me,” I beg him. “I don’t want to be in the kennel alone. I don’t want to be in the apartment alone. Please.”
I sound hysterical, but I don’t care.
“Whoa, Little Pet. You’re okay. Why don’t you take a slow breath in and let it out?” He holds my face with his free hand. “Everything is going to be okay. Daddy is right here. I am not going anywhere. I was just changing my shirt, but I was coming right back.”
I shake my head and grip onto his shirt, not caring that I am getting it all wrinkly.
“Don’t leave me alone.” My voice sounds so broken as I whisper to him. “Please don’t leave me alone. I can’t handle it.”
Concern is painted all over Daddy’s face as he looks down at me. “Little Pet, what’s wrong?”
I open and close my mouth several times as I look at him, wanting to tell him the truth but not knowing if he will truly understand what I am trying to say.
“Come on, Little Pet, you can tell Daddy anything,” he gently says. “You know that. We’ve already had some tough conversations.”
He’s right, but this is slightly different. I don’t want to make him feel guilty that he left me in the cage. But at the same time,I don’t want him to leave me alone. I know he will have to do it again at some point. It has become more frequent recently. I thought it was okay, but I don’t think it will be.
“How about we just sit like this for a little while? Then you can tell me after you have calmed down?” Daddy suggests. “I think that will be a good idea. Then you can get all the snuggles you need. I will patiently wait for you and also slow my racing heart down.”
“Your racing heart?” I whisper as I lean my head on his chest, taking in a deep breath.
My head is right above his heart, and it is steadily thumping. It doesn’t sound like it is fast to me.
“It was speeding when I heard you calling my name. I thought something was wrong, and I came as soon as I could,” he explains. “My heart is racing any time I am away from you. There are so many different possibilities that are running through my head that could happen to you, and I don’t like any of them. I want to protect you, but I can’t do that if I am away from you.”
Maybe Daddy feels the same way I did when I woke up. Maybe he will understand what I am trying to tell him, and he will keep me by his side. I don’t care if I have to go to the office with him and have other people look at me. Not to feel like I am panicky, that anything could happen, and I would die in the apartment, is better.
Daddy starts to slowly run his hand up and down my back. “I felt that way from the moment I saw you in the cage. I felt that way before I even met you, constantly wondering if you were okay and if you had everything you needed.”
I snuggle into his chest and let out a sigh of contentment.
