Epilogue
FRANKIE
It had been a month since Frankie had gone to Rainey’s coffee shop to meet the other Littles. So much had changed in a short period of time. Once a week, she met with the other girls, and Daddy sat outside in the car or in the coffee shop as they met.
Frankie was still worried that people were going to point and make fun of her, but no one had.
Some people still stared at her when she was out with Daddy, but they didn’t say anything.
She was getting better at letting that go and not letting it affect her.
It was hard, and she struggled with it, but Daddy was always there with her, helping her be calm and not crawl back to the house and hide.
“What are you doing?” Daddy asked as he rushed to her.
Frankie was standing outside the front door, taking in the sun.
“Are you okay?” Daddy asked. “Why are you out here alone? Why didn’t you call me?”
“I had the courage, and I didn’t want to wait and see if it would leave me,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry.”
She had finally found the strength to walk outside alone. She had thought of calling Daddy, but he was in the middle of a meeting, and she didn’t want to wait. So she just walked outside, and it felt so good.
Freeing.
Daddy wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She melted into his embrace and let him hold her.
“I’m so proud of you for doing this,” he whispered as he pulled back. “So proud but also really worried.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want the courage to go away if I went and got you,” she replied.
Daddy cupped her face. “You’re okay. Do you want to sit on the chairs for a little while?”
Frankie nodded, and he led her over to the seating area.
She got comfortable and looked around. It wasn’t anything significant to other people for her to sit out on the porch, but to her it was.
She had gone out all on her own, and now she was sitting out here, enjoying the warmth that surrounded her.
“I can’t believe I’m out here,” she told Daddy.
“But you are, and you should be so proud of yourself for it. You have come a long way.” Daddy gave her hand a squeeze.
Frankie had come a long way. From never leaving the house for three years, and now, once a week, she was going to a coffee shop with the other Littles. Two or three times a week, she went to the club with Daddy while he worked. Everything was changing, and she was happy.
Frankie was so glad for all of these changes.
She couldn’t believe how much she had missed out on because a group of kids in a grocery store had made fun of her.
Back then, she was in a fragile mindset.
Now, she understood that she had needed that time to just be, and now she was slowly coming out of the stage in her life.
Everything happened for a reason.
“Are you happy?” Daddy asked.
Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him. “Am I happy? Why do you ask that?”
“I just want to make sure you are okay. A lot has happened over the last three months, and I want to make sure that you are still happy,” Daddy explained. “Still happy with me.”
“Daddy,” she gasped.
He looked away from her but continued to hold her hand.
“Noah,” she called out his name. “I’m so happy. I’m happy that you were so patient with me. I’m happy that you didn’t push me on things and allowed me to be who I was every single day. I’m more than happy with you.”
Daddy grinned and gave her hand another squeeze. Frankie relaxed in her chair, squeezing him back.
“I’m so lucky you never gave up on me,” she whispered.
“Never,” he replied, kissing her lips.