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Finally, he found his voice. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
Another sigh drifted from her lips. “I’m very good, Daddy. What about you?”
“Also very good.” He kissed her again. “I’m happy. So happy that you belong to me. I feel so lucky to be your Daddy. So lucky to have you as my sweet Little girl.”
She pressed a kiss to his cheek and nuzzled her nose against his. “I’m happy too, Daddy.”
They snuggled on the bed for a few more minutes, a comfortable silence falling between them. Stephen eventually roused her and helped her walk to the bathroom. He turned the shower on and urged her to get in with him, and he soaped her up and helped her get clean. He washed himself quickly, too, and they both rinsed off. After drying her with a towel, they stood in front of the mirror, both naked as they brushed their teeth. At one point, she playfully splashed water at him, and he smacked her bottom in retaliation.
Once they finished preparing for bed, he grasped her hand and led her back into the bedroom. He dressed her in a fresh pair of warm pajamas, though he opted to sleep naked, and they crawled under the covers together as the wind continued howling outside.
“There’s something I haven’t told you yet, Kaylee, and I don’t want to go to sleep until I say it out loud.”
“What is it, Daddy?”
He met her eyes. “I love you. I want you to know that I love you. You don’t have to say it back if it’s too soon, baby. But I want you to know how deeply I care for you.” He kissed her cheek.
She peered at him with a thoughtful expression, and her eyes eventually gleamed with what he hoped were happy tears. “I love you, too, Daddy. Very, very much.”
Joy resounded through him at her words, and he thanked all the stars in the universe that she felt the same way. He hugged her tighter and rested his chin atop her head, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. They soon fell asleep in one another’s arms.
Two weeks later…
Kaylee yawnedand turned over in bed, snuggling deeper under the covers as she tried to go back to sleep. But a bossy person kept urging her to get up, and she finally sat up and glared at her fully dressed Daddy. He looked much too bright-eyed for seven in the morning, though she forgave him for waking her up the moment she spotted a mug of black coffee in his hands.
“Here you go, baby. Compliments of Santa.”
She gladly accepted the mug with a smile. “Thanks, Daddy.” She took a sip of the strong brew and sighed. She closed her eyes as she thought about her plans for the day and what she needed to do when suddenly her mind cleared, and she remembered the date.
Compliments of Santa.
Today was Christmas!
When she glanced at Daddy, her heart brimmed with joy. They were going to spend the whole day together.
Daddy sat on the bed and draped an arm around her shoulders. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” His voice was warm but tinged with fatigue, making her wonder what time he’d awoken.
“Merry Christmas, Daddy.” She pecked him on the cheek. “Thanks for the coffee. It’s delicious as always. I’m not sure what I like best about you, Daddy. Your coffee-making abilities or your cute butt. It’s a close call.” She giggled and gave him another kiss on the cheek.
He smiled down at her. “Santa visited last night. Aren’t you curious to see what he brought you? Why don’t you follow me to the living room, baby? You can stare at my cute butt on the way.”
She laughed and grasped his hand, careful to balance her coffee in the other. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t the sight that greeted her when she entered the living room. About two dozen wrapped presents sat underneath the huge Christmas tree. She aimed an accusing but playful look at Stephen.
“When? How?” She shook her head and struggled for words. They’d spent nearly every free moment they had during the month together, and she didn’t know how he’d managed to slip away to go shopping and wrap all these presents.
He plucked the mug from her hands, kissed her nose, and said, “It looks like you’ve been a very good girl this year, baby. Why don’t you go and see what Santa brought you?” He nodded toward the pile of presents, his eyes bright as the sparkling lights on the tree, his excitement contagious.
She opened the presents one by one and thanked Daddy for each thoughtful gift. There were dresses, stuffies, cute shoes, pajamas, and books. She felt utterly spoiled as she opened the last present, which was an insulated mug with her name engraved on it.
“Daddy, I can’t believe you went to all this trouble for me.” She found herself blinking back tears, and she rushed into his arms and hugged him tight. Once they pulled apart, she ran full speed to the bedroom, where she had his present hidden away in the back of the closet.
“No running inside, young lady!” he called, but she barely slowed her steps because she was so excited to give him his gift.
“Here you go, Daddy. Merry Christmas!” She pushed the small, wrapped box into his hands, and they settled on the couch together as he opened it.
“Oh, Kaylee, this is wonderful. Thank you.” He held up the framed photo, a picture of them standing in front of the huge snowman they’d recently built together. Sadie had kindly snapped the pic, and Kaylee had printed it out and placed it inside a frame she’d decorated herself. She’d even painted their names on the bottom of the frame.
“Do you really like it?”
