“I would love to. Thanks for the invite.”
“The Littles love when you come.”
“Probably because I spoil them.”
“I think that’s definitely part of it,” he agreed with a laugh.
“Auntie Kay?” Allyson, another Little girl in my life, called from the lobby.
“I’m in my office, baby.”
Soft footfalls sounded from the hall, growing louder as she approached.
“Hey, Little girl,” I said, pushing my chair back from my desk.
My heart melted when I finally saw her. She was wearing a blue sleeper with panda bears on it and panda slippers. She washolding her lovie in one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other. She didn’t look well.
Heavier footsteps reached my ears and Bash, Allyson’s Daddy Dom, walked in behind her.
“She has an ear infection, we just left the doctor’s. I have two clients I can’t reschedule and I don’t want her home alone. She was hoping she could hang out with you for a bit,” he said, filling me in.
I opened my arms to Ashley and she climbed up in my lap. Kissing her forehead, I frowned. “Poor baby. She’s warm.”
Bash set her backpack on my desk. “I just gave her some fever reducer, hopefully it will kick in soon. She has a bottle and some oatmeal in her bag, but I figure she’ll probably just sleep for a while. She’s wearing a diaper, and you can call me if you need me,” he said.
“No worries, I got her, Bash.”
“Thank you so much, Kay. I have no idea what I’d do without you.”
Allyson went limp against me and I wrapped both arms around her. I’d been done for the day, but I was content to just hold the sick Little girl. I was so thankful for my little family—the Littles and all their Daddies—and while I got so much joy from caring for them all, times like this only made me ache for my own Little one even more. I was a Daddy, through and though, but finding a Little one who wanted a female Daddy was proving to be far more difficult than I thought.
***
Lennon
The older woman stared at me with what looked like distaste through the video screen. “What did you need?” she asked, sounding almost as annoyed as she looked.
“I was just calling to see how your day went,” I answered, my heart falling to my feet. This had been a bad idea. Sasha was my accountant and she’d lost her grandmother the day before. I’d worried about her most of the day and had only called to check in on her, but maybe I’d misread the friendship or maybe she just had other things on my mind. I could be sensitive and I didn’t want to misinterpret her reactions.
“Why?” she asked, interrupting my inner panic.
“Why?” I repeated, not understanding her question.
“Why are you calling to see how my day went?”
“I-I just...”
“We’re not friends,” she interrupted. “I’m not someone you call just to talk about your day.”
Pain and rejection tore through me and my eyes burned with tears. “I just know it must be hard since your grandma passed.”
“I have people I have shared that burden with. You’re not one of those people.”
I bit my lip, willing myself not to cry.
“You know that, right? I worked for your parents and that’s the only reason I’ve continued to work for you.
“I understand,” I answered, already shutting down. I could feel my senses turning off.
