AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Um, no. I don’t think so.”
“Let me know if you change your mind,” he told her, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Why don’t I set up a few boxes and we can label them with the rooms they’ll go to? Then you can tell me where things belong.”
“Belong?” she echoed. “I thought I would put a few things in the nursery and everything else would go in the attic.”
Her Daddy looked down at her and she could swear his skin took on a greenish tint. He turned her so they were face to face and put a finger under her chin.
“You’re coming to live with me. You don’t have to hide your things. You can have whatever you want, wherever you want. I want my babygirl to be happy and comfortable in our home. There are some times and places where you’ll need to tone down the Little part of you because people can be so judgmental. Your home is not going to be one of those places.”
It didn’t make all her fears go away—that wasn’t how trauma worked, and just because someone let you be who you were in private didn’t mean they accepted you for who you were—but it sure felt good.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. I’m so happy you’re on the same wild page I am.”
And he followed his sentiment with a firm kiss to her lips, and a hug so strong he nearly lifted her off the ground.
* * *
After they’d been working for a couple hours, a knock at the door made her jump. She’d never had much in the way of visitors, and with Daddy here she was firmly in Littlespace. Which was why even though it was her apartment, she looked to him.
“It’s okay, Cricket. You remember I said my friend Linc was gonna come help out? That must be him.”
She did remember Daddy said his friend Linc was coming with his truck to help pack up her apartment and take her things to Daddy’s house. Despite knowing who it was and why he was here, her anxiety didn’t chill at all. She’d really hoped they’d have more of her things—especially her Little things—packed up before Linc arrived.
Daddy must’ve seen the way she looked at all her stuffies and coloring supplies and picture books because he chafed her upper arms.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed about Linc seeing your Little things. You don’t need to be embarrassed about that ever, but first I’d never be friends with anyone who wasn’t nice to Littles. Second, I would never knowingly put you in a position that you’d be embarrassed in a bad way. Third, you remember I told you Linc’s also a Daddy? He’s going to love you and he’s not going to be surprised by your Little things. Promise.”
Her tummy wasn’t convinced—just because someone said they were a Daddy didn’t mean they’d act like one—but she wasn’t going to throw a tantrum about this.
“Can I let him in? If he’s mean, I promise I’ll kick his butt.”
“Daddy!”
He could be so silly sometimes.
“No kicking butts, but would you ask him to leave if he’s not nice?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay. You can let him in, I guess.”
“Your’e such a brave girl, Cricket. Thank you for trusting me.”
There went that hot cocoa heart again. And some marshmallows fell on top when he pressed a kiss to her forehead before he went to open the door.
Cricket held back by her bed and clutched Bandit as Daddy let Linc in. While he was still in the hall, her Daddy spoke to him in a quiet voice she couldn’t make out, but soon enough the other man was stepping inside her small apartment.
The man who crossed the threshold was about Daddy’s height, a little leaner, with light brown hair and a full beard. Good-looking, she thought, but not as handsome as her Daddy. Then again, who was? No one.
When he saw her, his mouth spread into a smile so big she could see his teeth. Daddy closed the door behind him, but the man didn’t come much closer to her.
“Cricket,” her Daddy said, “this is my friend, Linc. Linc, this is my babygirl, Cricket.”
“Hey Cricket, it’s nice to meet you. Owen’s told me a lot about you, and I heard you need some help moving stuff. I’m not the smartest guy like your Daddy but I’m real good at picking up heavy things and carrying boxes, and I’ve got a big truck that’ll fit so many stuffies it’s almost like Santa’s sleigh.”
“Well I don’t have quite that many,” she told him.
