AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 24: Lina
The afternoon sun poured lazily through the open window. Today was the day Hank and I were having our first official playdate as Daddy and Little. The excitement was a humming undercurrent, barely suppressed as I gnawed on my lower lip. Suddenly, the trill of the doorbell rang out, breaking the silence. I pushed myself off the ground and started to crawl forward, moving as quickly as I could on my hands and knees. I reached out to grasp the door handle. As the door swung open, I looked up into Hank's loving eyes and felt a rush of joy.
"Hi," I said, pulling myself up to my feet to hug him. He smelled of fresh laundry and aftershave, a comforting combination that was quickly becoming familiar.
"Hello, princess," he greeted me, a warm smile stretching across his face. I loved the sweet rush of joy it gave me when he called me that. I felt special, cherished, protected.
"Nuh-uh, I'm Lina right now, remember?" I teased, sticking my tongue out at him.
He laughed, a rich, warm sound that echoed through the room. "Alright, Lina it is then."
From the corner of my eye, I spotted the wolf stuffie he'd gifted me earlier. I scooped it up into my arms and carried it towards Hank.
"Look, I've been taking good care of him," I said, proudly thrusting the toy towards him. "You can give him a kiss if you want. He loves hugs and kisses."
Hank chuckled, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on the stuffie's head.
"I'm glad to see that Wolfie is in safe hands. But I think you'll need to split your attention now. Wolfie's got competition." He reached into his bag to pull out a soft, pastel pink blanket. The material was plush and comforting.
"Competition?" I replied, accepting the blanket from him with a grin. "Well, Wolfie's always up for a challenge. Right, Wolfie?" I gave the stuffie a playful squeeze, then turned my attention back to the blanket. Wrapping it around me, I declared, "It's my favorite blankie now," before leaning in to give it a warm hug.
First up was a dress-up session. Hank presented me with a stunning array of choices he had brought: a sparkly princess gown, a cute sundress with flowers on it, a puffy pink tulle dress, a vintage polka dot dress, and a beautiful tiara with sparkling faux gems.
"Oh my, how can I choose?" I ran my hands over the different fabrics. Hank just smiled, offering gentle suggestions here and there, but ultimately leaving the decision up to me.
I settled on the pink tulle dress and the tiara. He helped me into the dress, zipping it up in the back, and placed the tiara gently on my head. I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes shining with excitement.
"I love it," I said softly. I looked like a real princess. I could hardly believe it was me.
Hank then brushed and styled my hair, using a variety of clips and hair ties to create a beautiful princess hairstyle.
"Sweetheart," he began, "Taking care of your appearance is not about impressing others, it's about loving yourself. Just like this," he gestured with the brush, "how you treat your hair, it's a reflection of how you feel about yourself. It's about self-respect, self-love. Remember, you are deserving of time, effort, and care. You should always strive to feel good for yourself, not for others. Every stroke of this brush, every time you dress up, it's a celebration of you and your individuality."
Then, I watched as he tried on a couple of the hairbands, his brows furrowed as he looked at himself in the mirror.
"Oh, I just can't decide," he mimicked, holding two hairbands side by side. "Do you think the pink one brings out my eyes?"
I burst out laughing, clutching Wolfie tightly to my chest as I doubled over with giggles. As he helped me put on my shoes, I felt a sense of warmth and gratitude.
Once we were settled in his car, Hank turned to me, a serious look on his face.
"Lina," he said, his voice firm. "There are some rules for our playdate that you need to follow. You always have to hold my hand when we cross the road, no talking with food in your mouth, and we need to clean up our picnic area before leaving. Do you understand?"
I nodded. "And what if I break a rule?"
"Well," Hank replied, a smirk on his face, "you might not get to pick the next activity or we might have a shorter play time."
I stuck out my tongue at him. "You're no fun."
Once we arrived at the park, we found a quiet spot under a large, shady oak tree.
"I have a big surprise for you," Hank said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
I gasped. "What is it? Tell me, tell me!"
"You'll have to wait," he teased, chuckling at my impatient squirms. "Let's just say it's worth the wait."
"But Hank!" I whined, folding my arms over my chest. "That's like telling a kid there's candy, but not letting them have it!"
