Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
“No, Daddy!” Hadley cried, clinging to the door frame. She couldn’t go. She just couldn’t.
“Hadley, baby. We made a commitment and we need to keep it.”
“I don’t want to keep my ‘mmitment,” she cried.
“I know, Peeps, but sometimes being a good friend means doing hard things and you are a good friend. The other Littles are counting on you to keep your word and help them with the reindeer.”
“I’m just a baby! I can’t take care of a reindeer!” What kind of grownups put babies in charge of Santa’s reindeer? It was a terrible plan.
“There are going to be lots of people around to help you with the reindeer. Lots of grownups to help you,” Finn promised.
“Why can’t you stay?” she cried. That’s why she was the most upset. She wanted Daddy to stay with her. It was a new thing in a new place and she’d already used all of her brave up.
“I have to help Master Derek with something, but I promise I will be there as soon as I can,” he soothed.
“I wanna help Master Derek with something too,” she sobbed, now clinging to his legs.
“Baby, it breaks my heart to see you so sad, but we’re going and you’re going to keep your word. Your only choice is if you go with a red bottom or not,” he said firmly.
“You’d spank me?” she wailed, collapsing onto the floor.
“I will and it would be so sad if you had to sit on Santa’s lap with an ouchie butt.”
“That’s so mean. You’re going to be on the naughty list!”
Hadley didn’t know what had gotten into her. She never acted like this, but she really wanted to stay with Daddy tonight.
“Hadley, I’m going to count to five and if you’re not off that floor and holding my hand, like a good girl, I am going to spank you.”
“One.”
Hadley processed his words.
“Two.”
Finn wouldn’t really spank her for being scared .
“Three.”
He was totally bluffing .
“Four.”
Maybe she should get up just in case. She popped up off the floor and wiped her eyes.
“Are you ready to be my sweet girl now?”
She nodded.
He wiped her face with a baby wipe and kissed her forehead. “I promise tonight will be the best night ever.”
She really doubted it, but she took his hand and let him lead her out the door. She was probably going to lose Rudolph and wind up on the naughty list forever. Hadley Bright, a recipient of lumps of coal in her stocking for the rest of her life.
“You look so pretty!” Sadie yelled as she ran across the room to Hadley. Hadley giggled at the way the pigtails flew around when she ran. She really did feel so pretty tonight with her sugar cookie Christmas dress on. She’d passed out so many cards to her online store since she’d been here and already had a lot of new orders pouring in to her website.
“Sadie,” Master Derek bellowed from behind her. The Little girl froze. Her Daddy made his way to her, grabbed her arm, and all but dragged her from the room. Hadley’s bottom clenched at the thought of the spanking she knew her new friend was facing, but Master Derek had already warned her about running twice since the party started. Hadley guessed she’d run out of warnings.
“That was almost you earlier, little one,” Finn whispered in her ear.
Hadley flushed and looked down, making him laugh. He pulled her close and kissed her cheek.
“I’m sorry I was whining earlier, Daddy. I just wanted to stay with you,” she whispered.
“I know, baby. Daddy would rather be with you too, but sometimes we have to do hard things.”
Hadley nodded and hugged his middle.
He kissed the top of her forehead.
“Which friend are we looking for again?”
Mindy.
“That’s right. Daddy met her the first day.”
Hadley nodded.
“What about the naughty Little guy?”
Nate.
“Yes, Nate. Is he coming too?”
She nodded and waved as Lori walked up holding the hand of a Little boy. She was wearing a red Christmas sweater with a gingerbread girl on the front with the words Little Sister written in what looked like royal icing underneath the cookie. The Little boy was dressed in a green Christmas sweater with a gingerbread boy on the front with the words Big Brother written on his. “Hi. Can I give you a hug before I go help with the reindeer?”
Hadley nodded and hugged the Little.
“Hi, Master Finn!”
Finn waved at the Little girl, appearing unsure of her name. “Hi, sweetie.”
“Have a good time with your Daddy!” Lori yelled before walking off with the Little boy.
“Was that Baby Lori?”
Hadley giggled and nodded knowing her cards couldn’t speak this time. “Yes, and the Little boy is her big brother, Blake. I met him when he came to bring her paci she’d forgotten one day,” she said softly.
Finn smiled. “Sounds like he’s a very good big brother.”
“He is, though Lori said he’s still made out of snails and puppy dog tails like Nate.”
“And she sounds like the typical sassy little sister,” Finn said with a chuckle.
Hadley waved when Eloise walked by. Eloise stopped and tugged her Daddies’ hands. They looked over and smiled at Hadley before walking her way. One of the Daddies held out a gift bag and Eloise took it before giving it to Hadley.
“Hey, new friends,” one of her Daddies said.
“We heard you were so helpful to our little one her first day back in preschool. Thank you so much, we appreciate you taking time to help her heart,” her other Daddy said.
You’re welcome. Friend.
“Hadley says she was glad to help her friend feel better,” Finn translated, shaking their hands.
“We bought you a special present,” Eloise told Hadley.
Thank you.
“ You can open it now if you want,” Eloise offered, making all the Daddies laugh.
Hadley set the bag on the floor and pulled out four books that all had the same blue truck on them.
“We got you the rest of the series so you can keep reading them even when you’re not here and my Daddy wrote their emails in the back so maybe we can video chat and read them one day.”
Hadley threw her arms around Eloise. That was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.
Eloise giggled and hugged her back. “We hafta go back to the stables now, but I’ll see you at preschool before you go back to Georgia, right?”
Hadley looked at Finn who nodded. “Two more preschool days.”
“Okay, see you then.”
Hadley waved bye to the Little girl.
“Bye, Hadley. Bye, Hadley’s Daddy,” Eloise yelled, walking away.
“You’ve made so many friends since you’ve been here, Peeps. Friends who love you and are excited to see you.”
Hadley pulled his hand so he would bend down.
“Noelle broke a special part of me. After she said those things to me, I wished I’d died in the plane crash with my parents. I gave her the best of me, but it still wasn’t enough. I loved her so much that I settled for scraps of friendship. I hoped one day it would change, but she was always too focused on the next big thing. I don’t know that she ever really wanted to be my friend, maybe she just hoped I’d bring publicity to her company, but I am grateful for the really hard truth she taught me about friendship. Real friends love the real me. The me that tiptoe-walks, and flaps. The me that is too emotional, too loud, too scared. The me that misunderstands concepts and needs to ask a billion follow-up questions. The me that gags at the sight of sprinkles. I am different and they don’t mind that. I realized that Noelle was the problem, not me. I think there are people who are glad I’m a part of their lives and that’s her fault she didn’t value me.”
Hadley was surprised when Finn lifted her up and squeezed her tight. “I’m so glad you’ve realized that, Peeps. We are so damn lucky to have you around. You brighten each and every day. You teach us how to be hopeful and to never give up. You remind us to be kind to everyone because we don’t understand their battle. Because of you, we remember to be inclusive. You are a wonderful person and a beautiful friend,” he said before kissing each of her cheeks.
He continued, “Noelle was a twatwaffle who didn’t even deserve to breathe the same air as you.”
Hadley giggled at Finn’s words but nodded. She didn’t think Santa would put her on the naughty list for agreeing that Noelle was a twatwaffle. Actually, Santa would probably agree.
Hadley held Finn’s hand tightly as she waited for her turn with Santa. She was so nervous, her tummy hurt.
“You’re doing so good, Peeps,” he assured her.
“Yeah. You’re being super brave,” Mindy praised from beside her.
Hadley turned and looked at her.
Thank you.
Hadley’s friend from preschool was standing with the couple while her Daddy, Leo, went and worked out something with Georgie, the person in charge of the Christmas party. Hadley liked Master Leo, he was so attentive to Mindy.
“What are you gonna ask Santa for?” Mindy asked.
Hadley flipped through her cards.
New coloring pencils.
“Oh. That’s a nice thing to ask for,” Mindy said, looking worried.
Good?
Mindy looked confused and Finn stepped in to help. “Hadley is asking if you’re okay. You looked worried.”
“I asked Santa for a puppy. Maybe that was selfish. Maybe I should have asked for something smaller like Hadley.”
Hadley shook her head and flipped through her cards.
Daddy.
“Aw, that’s so sweet, Peeps. I feel the same way,” Finn said, kissing her forehead.
Mindy looked even more confused and Hadley felt bad for her.
“Hadley was saying she’d already gotten everything she wanted for Christmas because she and I are in a relationship now and I am her Daddy. I feel the same way, there’s nothing else I could really ask Santa for because I already got everything I wanted.”
Hadley squeezed Finn’s hand tighter before bringing it up to her mouth and kissing it.
“It’s really cool how you guys have your own little language. Hadley just holds up a card and you interpret based off a single word. It’s like you’re the only one who knows what she’s saying.”
Hadley thought Finn had been the only one to actually hear her in her entire life, metaphorically of course. He’d been the only one who never seemed to mind her long explanations while she tried to explain herself, or her need for extra clarification, he never scolded her for her flapping or tiptoe walking. He really did accept her just as she was and Hadley was so thankful for him.
Finn smiled. “She’s my whole heart, of course I know what she’s saying; I’ve always known what she’s saying.”