Page 32 of Tiffanie

“Going that far won’t be necessary,” Phineas said with a smile. Ivan stepped out of the doorway, and Phineas walked in. “I’ll go check on her in her room. Would you put this in the microwave for me? Three minutes on high.”

“Got it. I’ll leave the container in there for you.”

Phineas headed down the hallway, hoping to find his Little girl resting. When he knocked and silently opened the door, Tiffanie sat crumpled on the carpet next to the bed. Her forehead rested on her knees.

She didn’t raise her head but called, “I’m going to bed, Ivan. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“You’re going to sleep on the floor, Princess? Ivan is terribly abusing you.”

“Daddy?” she asked, glancing up in surprise.

“Of course. Did you think I was going to miss seeing you this evening? What’s going on?” He walked forward and sat close to her.

“Maybe you were done with me? I didn’t hear from you all day.”

“Sorry, Princess. I answered your text about the event’s location. You wouldn’t believe the chaos that happened today.” He made a mental note to communicate with her more frequently. “Daddies make mistakes sometimes. I tried to concentrate on work today to get through everything as quickly as possible so I could spend time with you.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. I won’t ever lie to you, Little girl.”

She relaxed a bit and leaned against him slightly. Phineas wrapped his arm around her shoulders and scooted closer. “I had a good day. Stressful now and then. Maybe I screwed everything up. I’m second-guessing myself now.”

“Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“Essie and I had a great meeting. We decided on the decorations and the layout for the Knowledge Fair.”

“That’s awesome news. Was that the stressful part?” Phineas asked.

“No. That came when we were finished. Essie asked me if I was Little. Just like that. I got scared and told her I didn’t know.”

“That question came out of the blue, didn’t it? That took a lot of bravery on her part to bring the subject up.” Phineas could feel the emotions radiating from her. He wanted to make this better for his Little girl, but she’d have to work her way through the worry. Perhaps he could help.

“I didn’t know she was Little! Did you?”

“I didn’t know, but I suspected from a few things I’ve overheard and seen when she is with Zander.” The muffled sound of a spank on a clothed butt coming from the office before he’d walked in, a whispered good girl, that look that warned of repercussions, and the care that Zander always showed Essie.

“I must be totally clueless,” Tiffanie said sadly.

“Or busy and not paying attention. You’ve had a few things on your mind, and most people try to keep a distance between themselves and their boss when discussing one’s personal life.”

Tiffanie turned her head to meet Phineas’s gaze. She paused for a moment as if considering what he said before saying, “Yeah, I think that’s it. Totally.”

“Did she tell you why she asked?” Phineas asked.

“She wanted a Little friend.”

Phineas smiled. Of course, Essie did. “How sweet. Are you interested in having a Little friend?”

“Maybe? Yes? I don’t know. I’m not sure how to be Little by myself, much less with a friend.” Her hands twisted in her lap.

“Here’s the thing. Once you’ve talked about this, the genie is out of the lamp. You can’t stuff him back in there.” He smoothed a hand down her forearm and wrapped his fingers around her restless ones. Her nervous movements slowed and disappeared.

“I’m aware of that. I didn’t really have a choice,” Tiffanie muttered.

“Come here, Princess. I need to hold you.” Phineas scooped her onto his lap so she straddled his thighs. Having her with him made him feel whole—like she was his other half that had been missing. He hugged her close and noted her heart beat quickly. “What are you most scared about?”

“That she’ll laugh at me.”