Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sydney
Sydney stood in the middle of the room she’d shared with Chloe, her bag half-packed on the neatly made bed.
It wasn’t a big room. It had two twin beds, a shared dresser, and posters Chloe had taped to the walls, but somehow, it had come to feel like a safe haven in a foreign land.
A tiny corner of Rawhide that had become hers.
More hers than any home she’d ever lived in before.
And now she was leaving it.
Well… not really. Not like goodbye-forever leaving. She’d still see Chloe every day. She was just moving to the staff apartments, that was all. But things were still changing.
Changing beds. Changing routines. Changing everything.
Her chest ached. Her Daddies had offered to come and help her pack, help her move, but she wanted this moment with her new best friend.
But now, for the first time in what felt like forever, Sydney reached for Banana, clutching her stuffed friend close.
It was a big, scary moment. Maybe she should have had her Daddies here with her after all. Drat.
“You look like someone just told you unicorns aren’t real,” Chloe said gently from across the room, her bright red hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. She sat on the edge of her bed, legs swinging, holding a purple Squishmallow to her chest like it might help keep her together.
Sydney gave her a watery smile. “I just… I didn’t expect to feel so sad.”
“I know,” Chloe said, nodding. “But it’s not the end, Syd. It’s just… the next thing. The next really amazing thing.”
Tears welled in Sydney’s eyes despite her best effort. “You’ve been so good to me. From the first minute I walked in. You didn’t even know me.”
“You were scared and adorable and have that accent,” Chloe said, grinning while waggling her eyebrows like a loon. “It was impossible not to love you.”
Sydney laughed wetly. “I’m going to miss you.”
Chloe stood and crossed the room, wrapping her arms tight around her. “Pffft. You’ll be too busy being loved up by those Daddies of yours to miss me.”
Chloe then pulled back just far enough to fumble under her pillow, producing a tiny, glittery plastic unicorn with a chipped ear.
“This,” she said solemnly, “is Sir Sparklehoof. He has bravely protected me from nightmares, creepy closet shadows, and one truly terrifying beetle. Now, he’s yours.”
Sydney blinked at the silly thing, laughing through her tears. “Chloe, he’s missing an ear.”
“He lost it in the Great Juice Box Incident of ’22,” Chloe said with dramatic flair. “A noble sacrifice. Don’t make light of it.”
Sydney clutched the unicorn to her chest like a priceless heirloom. “I’ll take good care of him.”
“You better,” Chloe said, sniffling now. “And if your Daddies don’t let you come to Littles’ movie night next week, I’ll sneak you out like a rebellious teenager with a glitter problem.”
“I will,” Sydney whispered into her hair. “I promise.”
They hugged for a long time, until the sting in Sydney’s chest eased just enough that she could pull away. She zipped up her bag and gave the room one last glance.
“Ready?” Chloe asked.
Sydney nodded. “Ready.”
Levi met her outside and after he had her bundled up in a large borrowed coat—one of Roland’s—along with a brightly colored scarf and knit cap, he insisted on carrying her bags like he had that first day she’d met him at the airport.
“You can get used to letting us take care of you now,” he said with a wink as they walked the short path to the apartment.
She held on to his arm, nerves and excitement fluttering like birds in her stomach.
It was crazy how far they’d come in such a short time.
What was even more crazy was how much she’d already cared for these men, and how insane her life had become.
Roland was waiting at the front door, leaning against the railing with his sleeves pushed up and a soft smile that made her knees go a little wobbly. “Welcome home, little bird.”
Her heart skipped. Home.
Sydney paused on the step, the words echoing in her chest like they were something sacred. Home. It hadn’t always been a word that meant comfort.
She stared at the door, suddenly nervous.
Roland noticed. He reached out, cupping her cheek. “You okay?”
She nodded, eyes misty. “It just feels like… everything I ever wanted. And that’s scary.”
Levi stepped in behind her, wrapping a warm arm around her waist. “We’ve got you now, baby. It doesn’t have to be scary anymore.”
Then, with a mischievous grin, Roland swooped her up into his arms and carried her across the threshold. Sydney squeaked, laughing.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s tradition,” Roland said matter-of-factly. “You’re moving in. Gotta do it right.”
“You are ridiculous,” she muttered, clinging to his neck, but she didn’t ask him to stop.
After putting her down, both men made even more of a big deal of it, pretending like she hadn’t been there before by giving her a quick tour of the small space.
Her impression of the apartment was the same as it had been the first time.
It was warm, inviting and exactly the kind of space she’d picture both men in.
And now... now she got to be in the space with them.
“We made you your own corner,” Roland said, leading her to the brightest window in the apartment. There was a small white desk tucked beneath it, with a fuzzy pink chair, a shelf full of colored pens and notebooks, and a bookshelf that was completely empty... just waiting for her to fill it up.
Sydney stared, her hands rising to her mouth. “You did this for me?”
Levi came up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Of course we did. You need a place for your grown-up stuff. And your Little stuff. You’re part of this home now, baby.”
She blinked fast. “It’s perfect.”
“We also thought we’d celebrate our precious girl moving in with us,” Roland said, already sitting down on the sofa and patting his lap. “Come here, sweetheart.”
She didn’t hesitate. She climbed onto his lap, tucking herself against his chest, and he kissed her temple before pulling out his phone.
“Thought we could do a little shopping.”
She perked up. “For what?”
“For you. For your Little self,” he said, scrolling through a list of things offered in the Ranch store. All the photos showed the items were clearly designed for Littles and their caregivers. “Toys, kitchen sets, coloring things. Whatever makes you feel good and safe.”
Sydney leaned in, cheeks already flushing. “I don’t know what I want.”
“That’s okay,” he said, handing her the phone and wrapping his arms around her waist. “We’ll find it together. And whatever the store here doesn’t have, we can order online and have it delivered.”
They spent the next hour like that. Sydney was nestled in his lap, with Levi occasionally chiming in with suggestions from over her shoulder as he cooked something in the kitchen.
Roland teased her gently when she picked out a sparkly apron with cupcake patterns.
She shrieked with laughter when Levi insisted on adding a plush toy shaped like a chicken nugget to the cart.
She chose pastel sippy cups, a wooden play kitchen with a brilliant pink kettle, and a soft blue onesie with cloud patterns.
When she hesitated over a yellow dress with puff sleeves, Roland kissed her cheek.
“Add it. You’ll look like sunshine in it.
Warm up our day when it’s all cold and snowy outside. ”
After adding the dress to the cart, Sydney scrolled past a section labeled Pacis and Comfort Items. Her thumb hovered, then slipped past, pretending she hadn’t seen it.
But Roland caught it.
“You skipped a page,” he said softly, brushing her hair behind her ear.
She shrugged. “I just… I didn’t want to overstep. That’s… really Little.”
Levi leaned over from the kitchen, drying his hands on a towel. “Sweetheart, there’s no such thing as too Little for us. You get to be exactly who you are. Exactly how small you feel even if that changes from day to day until you find the one that is you.”
Roland handed her the phone again. “Let’s look together. No pressure. But if something calls to your heart… we want to know.”
With trembling fingers, Sydney tapped back to the section. It felt a bit like opening a door she hadn’t dared try before.
And there it was. A pale lavender pacifier with tiny stars on the shield.
She held it up wordlessly.
Levi smiled. “That one’s perfect.”
Her throat tightened. “You don’t mind?”
“We love every version of you,” Roland said, kissing her shoulder. “Even the smallest.”
By the time they finished, the cart was as full as her heart, her cheeks were sore from smiling, and she felt so special.