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“It’s getting late, and I don’t want your tummy to get upset by eating anything heavy.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” I say, nuzzling against Dean’s hand once more before scooting closer to my snack.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Daddy Dean squats beside me as I munch on the crackers. “Did you have fun playing with Eric?”
“Yes. He’s super nice and has a stuffie like mine!”
“I thought the two of you would have a few common interests. Eric doesn’t have many little friends, but it seems like he found one in you.”
“He’s fun,” I tell him. “Can we play again after my snack?”
“Sorry, sweetheart. Eric and his Daddy are leaving soon.” I start to whine, but Dean speaks before I get a chance. “How about I play with you for a bit instead?”
“Really? You’ll play with me?”
“Of course.” Dean pats my head. “Finish your snack, and then we can pick something to do together.”
“Yes, Daddy,” I say, wiggling in place. Making a new friend is cool but playing with Daddy is even better.
??????
DEAN
“We’re heading out. See you around, Dean,” Sawyer says, his hand resting on my shoulder.
Standing, I shake his hand. “Thanks for the chat, man. Appreciate it.”
A rare smile flits across his face, his eyes tracking to the sweet little firmly attached to his side. “If there’s anything I understand around here, it’s how easily a special boy can get under your skin.”
“Not just your skin, Daddy. I burrowed into your heart too,” Eric says, squeezing his arms around Sawyer’s middle.
“Yes, you did, little prince.” Sawyer plants a quick kiss atop Eric’s head.
“Your Daddy is a lucky man,” I tell Eric.
The adorable boy blushes when Sawyer answers, “The luckiest.”
After another handshake, Sawyer carts his boy out of the fairy garden to take him home, protectively hovering around him as he navigates through the rowdy bunch of littles. No wonder it was so easy for me to purge everything I was feeling all over Sawyer as soon as he asked, “‘Sup, Dean?”
He gets it. He’s been there.
Sawyer and Eric met right here in the fairy garden of the club a few years ago. One night together and they found their happily ever after. An adorable middle-aged boy not at all phased by Sawyer’s injury from his time in the military. A younger Daddy who knows it’s not about the age difference but the way they love each other in their dynamic.
I’ve watched their relationship grow over the past couple of years as they’ve worked through their pain and struggles, finding their way to a happy andhealthymarriage.
Sawyer and Eric have become one of the couples I know well around The Garden. Given how closely Sawyer and I align in our Daddy roles, it only makes sense we’ve developed a friendship within these walls. It’s also how I knew Tanner and Eric would play well together.
Even in the short few hours I’ve been in Tanner’s company, I know he’s quiet and welcoming to those around him. A good thing since Eric struggles with finding friends. Well, other than Poppy, the buoyant little girl who is an exception to every rule.
Sure enough, as soon as Eric handed the plastic brick to Tanner, their playtime was quick and easy. While Sawyer and I watched over our boys, speaking quietly about how I ended up with a little of my own for the night, I witnessed how badly Tanner needed this.
Within minutes, his shoulders fell away from his ears and his expression transformed into peaceful joy. Although the bruises under his eyes haven’t faded, Tanner appears to have brightened in his little space.
Giving him a chance to play and let go of his adult thoughts is what the boy needed tonight. I know the boy needs sleep, but a nap this late in the evening would only key him up later and break any chance at normalizing his sleep patterns. Ones I’m not entirely sure he has if his earlier comments are anything to go by.
The sound of air pulling through a now-empty cup draws my gaze back to Tanner. Before I can warn him of filling his belly with air, he releases the spout from his mouth and holds the empty cup in the air. “All finished, Daddy. Can we play now?”
Chuckling, I reach for his cup. “Yes, but let’s clean up the mess here first. We don’t want any stray bricks to get lost.”
