"Maddox mentioned you might have questions," Clare said, her expression understanding rather than judgmental. "About what it means to be a Little. About how it works in the real world."
I felt my cheeks heating. "Dion told you about me?"
"Our Daddies don't give out personal details," Abby hastened to assure me. "Just that you might be exploring that side of yourself and sometimes people are mean. Of course,” she added, “sometimes sneakers are just way better."
I waited for the explanation, but Abby just beamed at me, then she saw me looking at her and groaned, then giggled. “I did it again, huh?”
Clare chuckled. “This is about that woman at the charity thing?”
Abby nodded. “Yep. I’m trying, but sometimes I speak a whole sentence and pieces of it stay in my head, but I think I’ve said it out loud.”
I understood immediately. “You went to a charity gala in sneakers, and a woman was mean?”
“See, Abby?” Clare said. “It’s not like you’re speaking a foreign language.”
“She was a bitch!” Abby blurted out then smacked a hand over her mouth, looking around to see if someone had heard her. I had a feeling her Daddy didn’t like her saying cuss words.
“Well, if they were the sneakers you’re wearing, I’d say she was jealous.”
Abby cautiously lowered her hand. “Do you wanna see the room we made? It’s not our own personal room, well Margaret made it, so it is.”
I looked at Clare for an explanation. “Margaret works for the guys. She used to run the kitchen at Salvation, but she’s the housekeeper for them now, and she stays with Abby when Gideon can’t be there. She organizes the cleaning and the meals. She’s the only person allowed in here, but she's at home with their dogs at the moment.” Clare blushed. “She’s fabulous. She’s actually been giving me some cooking lessons.”
“Green veggies are yuck, but Margaret knows that,” Abby announced, wrinkling her nose. I paused, because weren't most veggies green?
“We have a playroom here. We bring our own stuffies but it’s got books and coloring and all the videos.” Abby stood up and extended her hand. I let her lead me into a very similar version of the playroom Dion had, but without the bed that I adored. "Sometimes the guys are here late or away, and we needed a space."
I ran my fingers along a shelf of children's books, recognizing several titles I'd loved as a child before they got thrown away. "It's beautiful."
"You're welcome to use it anytime," Abby said, flopping down on a beanbag chair and hugging a plush unicorn to her chest. “It’s our family’s.”
"It can make waiting easier," Clare said.
"I'm not very good at waiting," I admitted.
Abby grinned. "None of us are. That's why we have distractions." She pointed to a cabinet. "Coloring stuff in there. Movies over there. And I'm always ready for a tea party."
I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "I haven't had a tea party since I was about seven."
Something in my tone must have given me away because Clare's expression softened. "Bad memory?"
I shrugged, trying to appear casual. "My mother threw away all my toys and stuffed animals and told me I was too old for childish things. Tea parties definitely fell into that category."
Abby gasped. "That's horrible! Daddy Gideon says people are never too old for the things that bring them joy."
"Your Daddy sounds very wise," I said, warmed by the normalcy as they described just what I'd secretly loved to do.
"They all are," Clare said. "In different ways. Maddox understands trauma better than anyone I've ever met. Gideonhas this almost uncanny ability to see the whole picture. And Dion..."
"Dion's the protector," Abby finished. "The one who makes everyone feel safe, no matter what."
I thought about how he'd held me through my nightmares, how he'd seemed to know exactly what I needed before I did. "Yes," I agreed softly. "He does."
Clare studied me with knowing eyes. "It's scary, isn't it? Letting someone see that part of you."
I nodded, unable to find words.
"I was terrified," she admitted. "I'd spent so long hiding, pretending to be what everyone expected. When Maddox first recognized my Little side, I nearly ran away."
