Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Tyrell
“Perry.” My tone was calm, but it carried enough weight to make him freeze mid-bounce.
“Yes, Daddy?” he asked, blinking up at me with wide green eyes that were far too innocent for a Little who had just invited a woman to sit on my lap. A Little who was normally way more reserved and shyer than this.
“We don’t offer my lap to strangers,” I said evenly.
He considered that. “She’s not a stranger.”
I arched a brow.
He shrugged. “She’s Hope,” he clarified, as if that explained everything.
Across from us, Hope looked like she might actually dissolve into the floor. Pink had crept from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears, and she was twisting her fingers in her skirt like she wasn’t sure where to put them.
Hell, but she was sweet.
I exhaled slowly and looked Perry in the eyes. “It’s kind to share,” I told him quietly. “But we let the Bigs decide where everyone sits. Understood?”
He nodded immediately, biting his lower lip. “Yes, Daddy.”
Then he leaned closer and whispered loudly, “Maybe you should ask her now if she wants to sit on your lap.”
I suppressed the urge to smile at my naughty Little before giving him a kiss on the nose. “Nuggie, I know you’re excited, but how about you let things progress naturally?”
Perry leaned his head back to look up at the roof as if he was praying for deliverance before letting out a heavy sigh. “Fine,” he muttered. “But if I leave things to go naturally, you might let it take forever, and I’ll have to wait for a sister for like years.”
I playfully pinched his bum before giving him a chaste kiss. “Scoot, dino nuggie, it’s Hope’s turn.”
Hope was still deliciously pink when I turned my attention to her, but she wasn’t shrinking away anymore. If anything, there was a spark in her eyes now. I couldn’t wait to encourage it into a burning flame.
“Your turn,” Perry announced, dragging a chair closer to hers.
Hope glanced at me. “You’re not going to turn me into a mutant turtle, are you?”
I huffed a laugh before I could stop myself. “I’ll try my best.”
She sat up a little straighter in her chair and tucked her hands neatly into her lap, then immediately untucked them when she noticed Perry watching her.
“Do I have to sit super still?” she asked.
“Preferably,” I said mildly as I dipped the brush into pale blue paint. “I’m not the best at chasing moving targets.”
She scrunched her nose before winking at Perry. “But what if I wiggle just a little bit.”
I touched the end of her scrunched nose with the back of the paint brush before responding. “Then I might mess up just a little bit.”
Perry practically bounced in his seat as he watched our interaction and I could see his happy energy waiting to burst free.
“You have to let Daddy do sparkles on your face. He does the best sparkles in the whole wide world.”
I rolled my eyes at my Little before blowing him a kiss. “Let’s not oversell my talents here, dino nuggie. At best I can probably do adequate anything.”
Hope tilted her chin up obediently when I moved closer and closed her eyes without my having to prompt her.
The action was small, but it did something to me. I didn’t know if trusting came easily to Hope or if she was just trying really hard, but I felt honored that she was gifting me a piece of that trust, even if it was just to close her eyes with a perfect stranger.
I kept my touch light as the brush met her skin. She inhaled softly at the cool sensation but didn’t flinch or pull away. Instead, her fingers curled slightly against her skirt, like she was resisting the urge to reach out and touch.
Perry, on the other hand, had no such restraint. He reached over and grabbed hold of her clenched hand.
“You’re really pretty already,” he informed her seriously. “But now you’re going to look magical.”
Hope’s answering smile was unguarded. It was so unlike the polite one she’d worn when we first approached her.
“I like magic,” she responded. “When I was younger, I used to love playing with those magic kits. Doing card tricks was my favorite.”
I worked slowly as she and Perry discussed different magic tricks. As I painted, she relaxed further. Her shoulders lowered, and her breathing evened out.
At one point, she peeked at me through one of her eyes. “Is my talking messing up the paint?” she asked.
“Not at all, button.” The nickname slipped out without me even knowing where it came from, and I had a moment of panic that Perry might get upset at it, but then she grinned at me, and Perry giggled.
And I felt something shift.
Because Perry—my Perry—was giggling.
He didn’t do that much with other Littles. Not easily. Most of the time, meeting strangers overwhelmed him somewhat. He usually retreated, clinging to my arm, whispering what he wanted.
And I just realized, since the moment he met Hope, he’d been nothing but his usual rambunctious self. The self only I ever got to see.
And now he was leaning against Hope’s shoulder, clutching her hand and explaining to her why glitter was one of the most important art supplies in the world.
He hadn’t once looked overwhelmed. He looked genuinely happy.
I took a moment to watch them both and realized even Hope was leaning toward my Little boy.
The longer I watched them, the harder it became for me to tamp down the—dare I say it—hope that this woman might be what we’d been looking for.
“Almost done,” I murmured as I added a dusting of silver glitter along the curve of her cheekbone.
“More glitter,” Perry demanded.
“There’s enough glitter,” I admonished.
He shook his head. “There is never, ever, ever enough glitter.”
Hope peeked at me again. “He’s right, you know, Master Tyrell. Glitter is just one of those things no one but Daddies can ever get enough of. And even then, I’m pretty sure they’re just pretending because they have to.”
Perry burst out in deep belly laughs at that.
I stared at her for a beat, mock offense settling over my features. “I’ll have you know,” I said gravely, “that I take my responsibilities as a Daddy very seriously, and as such, I have to curb glitter overuse whenever I can.”
Hope’s eyes sparkled when she finally opened them fully. “Oh, I can tell.”
Dear Lord, help me.
I added one final sweep of silver along the edge of the butterfly and stepped back. “Alright,” I said quietly. “Now you may look.”
She reached for the mirror, and the second she saw her reflection, her breath caught.
The butterfly stretched soft and blue across her cheek, dusted in silver stars that caught the light when she moved. It wasn’t my best work, but the way her face lit up made it feel like a masterpiece.
“Oh,” she whispered. “I look... pretty.”
Perry scoffed at her. “No, silly. You look magical. I told you, you would.”
She turned toward him and, without hesitation, leaned in and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you, Perry. You were totally right. It’s magical.”
He froze for half a second, then melted into her hug like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I swallowed slowly, something tight and hopeful expanding in my chest.
“Judging will begin in five minutes!” someone called from the front of the room.
Perry perked up instantly. “Okay! It’s time to show everyone we have the best Daddy in the room.”
I inhaled sharply, but then relaxed when Hope didn’t outwardly react to Perry calling me their Daddy.
After we got the judging out of the way, I was definitely going to be asking his magical girl if we could see her again.