I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the spot where her bag had been, the sheets still faintly carrying her scent. My stuffed bear was clutched so tightly in my hands that my knuckles ached. I wasn’t sure if I was more upset about the empty space beside me tonight—or about what it meant that I already craved her presence this much.
What if she liked the cabin so much she didn’t come back around as often? What if I was just another responsibility she eventually left behind?
I shook the thoughts off and pulled my knees to my chest, whispering into the quiet, “Don’t be ridiculous. She promised.”
But even promises didn’t erase the ache of missing her already.
I made it through class with a smile plastered on my face, nodding along to Master E’s lecture like everything was perfectly fine. At work I kept busy, shelving returned books, sanitizing playrooms, and answering questions, pretending the heaviness in my chest didn’t exist. I even joked with Renee and Elara about a recent conversation that Renee had with her Dom.
But the whole time, my mind kept circling back to the empty space in my room. To the absence of Daddy’s presence. By the time it was time to go, my chest was tight and my throat ached from holding it all in.
I told myself I’d be fine. I told myself it was silly to be this upset. Daddy was still on the property. It wasn’t like she’d left the state. I should be grateful she’d stayed with me at all. But when I stepped into my suite, shut the door, and looked at the quiet, hollow space in her room… something inside me broke.
I curled up on the floor by the bed, my stuffy clutched in my arms, and sobs tore out of me before I could stop them. Ugly, messy, chest-heaving sobs. The kind that made my whole body ache. My thoughts spun out of control—what if she liked the cabin better? What if she didn’t come back? What if I was too much, too needy, too broken, and she realized she didn’t want to deal with me?
I barely heard the knock at first. The door opened before I could even drag myself up, and I flinched, swiping at my wet cheeks.
Daddy stood there, holding a paper bag in one hand and a set of cups in the other, clearly ready for dinner. But her smile dropped the second she saw me.
“Sera.” Her voice was low, firm but concerned. She set the things down on the dresser and crossed the room in two long strides. “What’s wrong, little one?”
I couldn’t speak. My throat locked up, shame flooding me at being caught like this again. I just curled tighter into myself, trying to hide my face. Why was I so weak and needy?
Her hand was gentle but sure as it cupped the back of my head, coaxing me to look at her. Her eyes searched mine, and I felt like I didn’t have to pretend. I fell apart without saying a single word and she held my chin waiting for me to answer. She held steady as I cried hard and long. Her hand never moved from my chin, and while she watched me lose it, I never felt judged. I felt her patience, her unwavering attentiveness. Too seen. Too vulnerable. And it made me cry harder. I didn’t hide, not even when I closed my eyes. I continued expressing myself, sure that she wouldn’t go anywhere.
Where had all this bravado been all day?
When I started to settle, I opened my eyes to see her assessing me. Her thumb caressed the side of my chin as she held me in place.
“All this for me, baby?” Her voice was deeper than usual. Raw.
I nodded, unashamed.
“Pretty gifts. Tears, emotions, submissive behavior…. You didn’t even move,” she whispered.
“No, Daddy. I…” I was cut off by her mouth rushing to mine. I clung to her like the lifeline that she was.
Daddy moaned into my mouth and I swallowed it, giving her more of what she needed. Taking more of what I did. I wrapped my arms around her neck, unafraid of her, giving her the wheelto drive us wherever it needed to go. And she did. The speed steadily increased, the tempo and heat following her lead. My body followed suit. My mind turned off, knowing it was safe to do so.
Her hand moved down my neck until she held me by my throat. No force. Not constricting air. But controlling me. I closed my eyes tighter, feeling at ease, loving this for the both of us.
Her hand around my throat stilled me completely. My pulse beat against her palm, wild and needy, but I didn’t flinch. I leaned into it. I wanted her to feel all of me—my fear, my longing, my obedience, my surrender.
“Good girl,” Daddy murmured against my lips before kissing me again, slower this time, deeper. She wasn’t just kissing me anymore; she was claiming me, and every ounce of my resistance melted.
I whimpered, not from fear but from relief. Relief that she hadn’t left me alone in this bed with my spiraling thoughts. Relief that she wanted me, even when I was weak and needy.
She pulled back just enough to press her forehead to mine. “You miss me already, don’t you?”
“Yes, Daddy.” The words tumbled out on a shaky breath. My cheeks burned, but I didn’t look away. “I don’t want you gone.”
Her thumb stroked the underside of my jaw, steady and reassuring. “I’m not gone, little one. Do you hear me?”
I nodded, tears spilling again, but softer this time. Her voice had pulled me back from the edge, anchored me where I belonged.
“Look at me.”
I did.
