Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
Lori
It had been late when they’d gotten into bed, and much, much later by the time they’d fallen into an exhausted sleep. She’d lost count after the third time her Daddy had made her come, she only remembered the taste of herself on his lips when she’d kissed him before he began round four.
Another glance around the room still didn’t result in her finding a clock. Didn’t hotels have clocks in the rooms? She was worried they were going to be late.
“What time is it?”
“It’s exactly two minutes later than the last time you asked. Now, do your yoga thing and be a pretzel, sit still, and meditate unless you want your hair to look like Fauna did it,” Gordon said when he undid the band around a wonky pigtail for the third time.
Lori most certainly didn’t want that so she pulled her legs in to her core, folded one ankle over the other, placed her wrists on her thighs and lightly pressed her thumb and pointer fingers together. Looking up, she said, “I’m a lotus flower, Daddy, not a pretzel.”
“And a very adorable flower at that, but you tend to forget that neither pretzels nor flowers squirm or speak.” He bopped his fingertip against her nose.
“Oh, right.” Lowering her head, she stared straight ahead, concentrating on not moving a single muscle. She’d learned to meditate after she’d come to live with her Daddy and Auntie B. That and the therapy they’d insisted she needed were meant to help her deal with the anxieties that were never far away. She usually found peace in the practice, but today, her mind was whirling with all she wanted to do and see. Her head began to feel light and her chest started to ache…
“Little flower, you can breathe, just don’t squirm.”
With a loud exhale, she released the breath she’d been holding. “I forgot,” she said after inhaling deeply a few times.
“I do believe Fauna will be proud, don’t you?”
Lori looked at her reflection in the hand mirror her Daddy held up. Two long lengths of blonde curls were perfectly balanced on either side of her head. As a tribute to her new friend, Lori had insisted on two different colored ribbons. One was white and the other pink and matched the pink-and-white striped dress she was wearing.
“They’re perfect, thanks, Daddy!”
“You’re welcome, sweetpea.” Gordon dropped a kiss on top of her head before announcing, “You’re free to wiggle–” His words were cut off with the buzzing of a bell.
“That’s Sadie!”
Her attempt to spring up like a graceful gazelle was thwarted when her folded legs tangled together in her haste to jump off the ottoman and get to the door. She’d come within an inch of face planting on the floor before she was caught and lifted into her Daddy’s arms.
“Guess you forgot you need your legs to walk as well?”
“No I don’t, Daddy, not when I have you.” She pointed to the door. “Fly me over there, please.”
At the door, he swooped her down to the doorknob and she twisted it open to reveal their visitor was indeed Sadie. “Hi!” Lori managed before her Daddy swept her up into the air before lowering her to her feet.
“Wow, that’s the best door answering I’ve ever seen.” Sadie smiled and held out her hand. “Ready for breakfast?”
“Yes! I’m starving! Daddy, come on!”
Instead of obeying, the only thing her Daddy moved was his right eyebrow. Flutters instantly filled her tummy. “Ooops, I meant to say, Daddy, will you please join me and Sadie for breakfast? They have pancakes!”
His eyebrow lowered as she remembered her manners. “I’d be quite honored to escort two lovely Little ladies to breakfast.”
Sadie moved back to allow him to exit the room and after he snagged Lori’s backpack and slung it over his shoulder, he joined them in the hallway. Lori took her Daddy’s hand as well, walking between the two as they made their way to the cafeteria.
“Oooo…”
The exclamation was soft and yet spoke volumes as Lori stood as frozen as the statue her Daddy had requested earlier. Every school she’d ever attended had had a cafeteria and she’d even eaten at a few Luby’s in her life. But what she saw before her was unlike any cafeteria she’d ever seen. She didn’t see the tables surrounded by chairs. She didn’t notice the trays being held or the choices of food being made. Her entire focus was on the Littles. There wasn’t just one or two, or even a dozen. Littles were everywhere. Some were holding each other’s hands, some holding the hands of Bigs. Some were sitting in chairs that appeared larger than life to Lori, but it was the ones sitting in actual high chairs that had her breath catch in her throat.
“Sweetpea, are you okay?”
Lori shook her head as she looked up to find her Daddy looking down, his eyes showing concern. “There are… Littles.”
Her Daddy laughed and a giggle had Lori remembering that Sadie was on her other side.
“I told you so,” Sadie said with a huge grin.
“But they…. There are so many.” The awe in her voice was palpable.
“I know. Isn’t it awesome! Oh, Hayleigh, Haven, over here!”
Lori watched as two girls turned at the sound of Sadie’s voice and immediately broke into smiles as they waved and began to make their way over to join them.
“Don’t worry, you’re gonna love them,” Sadie assured Lori, and when the other two were standing before them, Sadie introduced her. “Guys, this is Lori, she’s new and soooo much fun. Lori, this is Hayleigh. Her Daddy is Chef Connor who makes the best pancakes in the world. And this is Haven, her Daddy is Master Colt and he builds all sorts of things.”
Lori didn’t really have time to be anxious or scared as she was swept up in hugs and compliments on her dress and her pigtails. Before she knew what had happened, she was no longer standing outside the cafeteria looking in. Instead, she was one Little in a sea of others, a tray in her hand and watching as it was filled with dishes, utensils and a glass of strawberry milk. It wasn’t until she was asked if she wanted whipped cream or sprinkles that Lori remembered her Daddy.
“Ummm, I-I… is that okay, Daddy?”
“It is on special days,” her Daddy assured her. “And I’d have to say today is one of those days, wouldn’t you?”
Looking around her, seeing her new friends smiling and waiting for her to make her choice, she had to nod. “It’s the bestest day ever! Both, please, with lots and lots of sprinkles!”
Once her stack of pancakes had been crowned with whipped cream and an abundance of sprinkles, the group of Littles followed her Daddy to a table. Lori was torn between excitement and anxiety when he set down his tray in order to pull a high chair closer to the table. She already looked different than the others. Sadie, Hayleigh and Haven all wore black and purple plaid skirts and white blouses which Lori figured was some sort of school uniform. She was also pretty sure not a single one of them had ever napped in a diaper. Would the other girls decide she was too much of a baby to be included in their circle? Before the panic had a chance to take hold, Haven stepped in.
“My Daddy made different kinds,” she said as Gordon attempted to slide the tray free. “For this one, the tray goes up and over the back.” She demonstrated how to release a catch beneath the tray and lifted it up and over until it rested against the back of the chair. “That way, you can either pull the chair up to the table without a tray or pull it back over when Lori is seated.”
“Your Daddy is a very talented man,” Gordon said as he ran a hand along the arm of the highchair. “Did he make the crib in Lori’s nursery? It’s beautiful, isn’t it, sweetpea?”
Lori felt her eyes growing wide and her face growing hot even as she nodded, startling when she felt someone touch her hand.
Looking over, she discovered Sadie leaning toward her. “Look around. There are lots of lots of high chairs and lots of littler Littles.”
A quick glance around the large room confirmed Sadie’s words, and when her Daddy held out his hands and said, “Let’s get you seated so you can eat before your pancakes get cold,” she was able to nod and lift her arms.
Lori found herself flying once more and was settled in the highchair before she could blink. Seeing nothing but smiles as the others pulled out chairs to sit, she relaxed and let herself enjoy the fact she was seated in the biggest, coolest chair she’d never even imagined existed. Swinging her feet, she waited until her Daddy cut her pancakes into manageable bite-sized pieces, and once she took the first bite, she groaned.
“Hayleigh, your Daddy is a really good cook,” Lori said.
“Wait until lunch. He makes the best mac ’n’ cheese and dino nuggets, too,” Hayleigh said before shoving a rather large forkful of pancakes into her mouth, using a finger to catch a drip of syrup before it fell on her blouse.
Shooting a glance to her Daddy, Lori smiled when he simply shook his head, removed Hayleigh’s napkin from off her tray and gently wiped first her chin and then her fingers.
“Thanks,” Hayleigh said as if it was nothing at all to be attended to by someone other than her own Daddy.
“You’re welcome,” Gordon said, cutting into his own double stack.
Between bites, the girls pointed out various people at other tables, and waved rather frantically to one who stood looking around her. The girl wasn’t wearing the same uniform as the others. Instead, she had on a pair of jeans, real cowgirl boots and a long-sleeve shirt. Catching sight of the waving hands, the Little joined them, setting her tray down with a bang.
“Hi, I’m Wren,” she announced, sliding into a chair across the table. “You’re Lori, right?”
Lori nodded, wondering how she could possibly know.
“Sadie’s Daddy was telling my Daddy that you love horses, like me. We have lots and lots to choose from. There’s Starling and Clem who’s blind but still loves to be ridden. Oh, and Margo and George pull the buggy, but if you’d rather ride in a cart, Hercules would pull it. Alfie is really an alpaca but don’t tell him because he thinks he’s a horse too. Do you like goats? Oh, and turkeys? We’ve got a whole gaggle of turkeys… hey!”
Sadie who’d poked Wren with her elbow, giggled. “Slow down, you’re going so fast I’m surprised Lori’s head isn’t spinning.”
Lori waved the concern away and watched in horror as a glob of pancake flew across the table to land next to Wren’s tray. She’d completely forgotten the fork in her hand and the bite that had remained suspended mid-air as she listened to Wren’s amazing soliloquy.
“I’m so sor…”
Her apology didn’t make it from her lips before Wren had stabbed the pancake with her fork and transferred it to her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she seemed to notice the others looking at her. “Five-second rule,” she intoned with a shrug. “Anyway, what I was trying to say before Sadie poked me was, anytime you want to ride, have your Daddy bring you out to the stables. We can either ride around in the corral or if you pass my Daddy’s riding test, we can go on a trail ride or?—”
When she had to take a breath, Haven jumped in, “In other words, if you want to have anything to do with a horse or visit the petting zoo?—”
“Oh! I totally forgot about the petting zoo! We have chickens and piggies and a bossy bird and?—”
“Crap on a cracker, Wren, give the poor girl a minute,” Hayleigh said. She turned to Lori. “On this Ranch, if you go to the stables you can boop a pig’s snout, speak to a bird who talks back, ride a real horse, and pet the sweetest cow ever and then you can go to the store and get stuffies who look just like them to cuddle.”
“Didn’t I tell you this place was magical?” Sadie asked.
Feeling a bit off-balance, Lori started to nod but began to giggle instead when Wren started dragging down the peel of her banana. Lori’s pigtails bounced as she lost control until she was giggling and snorting and gasping for air all at the same time. She might have been embarrassed if not for the fact that four other Littles started giggling too.
Lori tried to catch her breath, watching as her Daddy looked from one Little to another and shook his head.
Exhaustion eventually slowed the group hysteria. That and the fact that not only was Gordon using his napkin to sop up the puddle of pink milk on Lori’s tray, but he’d been joined by Master Derek and a man wearing a white apron which had a thick wooden spoon sticking out of its pocket.
“Sorry, Daddy,” Hayleigh managed as her Daddy used a kitchen towel to help clean up additional spillage.
“We didn’t even have a food fight,” Sadie offered as she held out her hands to be wiped down by her Daddy.
“Master Chef?”
Sadie and Hayleigh began to giggle again which had Master Derek rolling his eyes but Hayleigh’s Daddy looked up and met Lori’s gaze.
“Thank you for the compliment, little lady, but it’s just Chef Connor.”
“Oh, um, sorry… not for calling you Master Chef because you really are a one, a master at… at cheffing… oh, I?—”
“Breathe, sweetpea.”
Her Daddy laid his palm against her cheek and the contact and quiet instruction slowed the racing in Lori’s chest.
Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, nodded and tried again. “Thank you, Chef Connor.”
“For what?”
“For making the best pancakes I’ve ever eaten. I ate two! Well, except for the one bite Wren ate.”
It was another five minutes before the girls stopped laughing long enough for Master Derek to say, “Okay, breakfast is officially over. Put your trays away and get yourselves to class. And, ladies, try to behave.”
A chorus of “Yes, Master Derek,” and one, “Yes, Daddy,” came from the Littles as they placed all their dishes, utensils, glasses and used napkins on their trays before pushing back their chairs and standing.
“Daddy! Let me out,” Lori said once she realized she wasn’t going anywhere until her Daddy lifted the tray.
“Excuse me?”
Her Daddy gave her a look that let her know that despite the giggling and fun, she was expected to remember her manners.
“Sorry, Daddy. May I please get down? I want to help too.”
“I’ll take yours,” Sadie said, putting the empty plate and glass on her own tray. “I’ll be back in just a second.”
“Thank you, I’ll be right here.” Lori lowered the hand she’d lifted to wave so her Daddy could pull the tray over her head. “I’m really sorry, Daddy. I got a little excited.”
“A little? Babygirl, if that’s a little, I’m not sure I can handle a whole lot excited.”
His smile and the kiss he pressed to her forehead awarded Lori the forgiveness she needed. Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him hard. “I love you, Daddy!”