I’d just hung up with Josephina, the warmth from our conversation still radiating through me, when I felt the familiar eyes watching me.
“Hey, Daddy.” I knew I was beaming as I looked up at her.
“Hey, little one,” Daddy’s voice whispered, gentle and steady. She leaned in the doorway, eyes scanning me with that careful, protective focus that made my chest tighten in ways I couldn’t quite name. She was quite striking. Especially with her hair down, dreadlocks framing her beautiful face, and her casual attire. No matter what she wore, she was always all business.
“I thought I’d check on you before bed,” she said. “You okay?”
I nodded, words failing me for a moment. The lump in my throat made me swallow hard. “Yeah… I’m… I’m good.”
Her smile softened, and she crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed. Without a word, she reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I’m glad you talked to her,” she murmured, her hand lingering lightly on my cheek. “You did really well tonight. How’d it go?”
I felt my shoulders relax against her, the tension of the day finally uncoiling. “Thanks… It was amazing actually. She listened and encouraged me to continue my journey. She admitted that she’s got some exploring to do in the same areas, but for the most part, it was amazing.” I pushed my head beneath her chin and waited for my reward.
Daddy didn’t disappoint. She kissed the top of my forehead and rested the side of her face there. I snuggled in even closer and melted in her arms. She gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
“For the most part?”
Darn, she’d caught that.
“I have to tell my parents. She thinks it needs to be censored to be need-to-know information. That maybe the Little dynamic is too much personal intel. I agree to some extent, I just don’t want there to be questions if I call you Daddy in front of them.”
“You want me to meet your family?” she asked.
Was I moving too fast?
“I mean, eventually. If we continue and determine that we want this for the long haul. Yes, meeting my parents and my sister is important to me.”
“Then it’s important to me as well.”
Fireworks started around my heart, exploded into my throat, and made my eyes water from the smoke show.
“Now, it’s time to get tucked in. Sleep well, little one.”
I nodded, curling under the blanket she’d straightened, and felt her hand linger for just a heartbeat longer before she slipped quietly to the door. I heard the soft click as she closed it behind her, and I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
Safe. Seen. Cared for.
I was beginning to feel like I could finally let go.
“Good night, Daddy,” I whispered to the empty room, and with that, I drifted into sleep, a small, contented smile on my face.
But Daddy wasn’t here, and the emptiness of the bed beside me made it ache.
I curled deeper under the blanket, hugging my stuffed bear close, and found myself wishing she was—just as she had been earlier, rubbing my head, steady and warm. I missed her, missed the way her presence seemed to smooth out all the edges of the day. I wanted to feel that again, wanted to drift off knowing she was right there beside me.
“Good night, Daddy,” I whispered again softly to the empty room, my voice barely more than a breath. The words felt heavier in the quiet, weighted with longing and the knowledge that she wasn’t next to me.
I closed my eyes, imagining her leaning in, the steady pressure of her hand on my shoulder, the warmth of her bodybeside mine. I let the memory carry me until sleep claimed me, a small, wistful smile tugging at my lips.
Chapter Thirteen
Seraphina
Today was the day. Daddy was moving into her cabin and I wasn’t happy about it. I’d thought about asking her to stay, but I knew the bed in the other room wasn’t sustainable for her long frame. She’d already packed her things and wouldn’t be here after class.
But the cabin was still on the same property, so there wasn’t a need to be sad, right? Except I was.
The thought of going to sleep without her footsteps in the other room, without knowing if she’d check on me before bed, gnawed at me in a way I hadn’t expected. I told myself I was being silly, that adults didn’t get clingy like this, but my chest felt tight all the same. I wanted her near. I wanted her here.
