Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
It took no time at all to get settled into our new place. From a Daddy’s point of view, Sage’s playroom was sad, too empty, but he was thrilled to have space for all his toys. I swear, that boy could find happiness in a paper sack.
With Christmas just around the corner, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
This Daddy had plenty of prezzies in his online shopping cart and had been working on a making a special gift for his boy in the afternoons while Sage was at school.
While we were on vacation, Burke was gonna set it up in his room along with a few other things I’d ordered for him.
Sage and Dempsey had quickly become inseparable, shopping for their Halloween costumes online and begging to play together every chance they got.
Each weekend since we met them at the mine, Burke and I had scheduled playdates.
It was nice having another couple in the lifestyle as friends and my boy was beyond elated.
“Daddy, when are our costumes getting here? It’s almost Halloween.”
Sage’s first Halloween.
Both sad and exciting.
But I wasn’t bringing the mood down even thinking about that.
His excitement was infectious and the Ranch therapist he’d started seeing once a week was very happy with his progress.
Catherine Denton knew just how to get Littles to talk, same way I’d learned how—while they were playing.
Eye contact during serious conversations wasn’t easy for Sage and respecting that boundary helped earn his trust.
“Let me track it really quick.” I pretended to do just that even though I knew it had arrived.
“Hmm, let’s go ask Becky. Sometimes packages slip through.
” Burke and I had already planned this out.
While I picked up the costumes, he was grabbing dinner and meeting us back at our place to surprise the boys.
Sage skipped along, jumping rocks and leaves, making a game of the quick journey.
“Evening, Becky.” Sage ran right up to the counter, eyes wide as we talked. “Any chance you’ve got a couple of packages for me?”
She hemmed, and hawed, drawing it out. “Hmm, I think something might be here. Let me check the back room.”
“Daddy,” Sage whispered, “do you think it’s my costume?”
“Not sure, but fingers crossed, little butterfly.” I mussed his curls.
“Well”—Becky reappeared carrying two boxes—“something came, here you go.”
“Thanks, Becky,” I said and Sage waved at her. As we rounded the corner to our apartment I waited for Sage to notice who was there waiting, only Dempsey beat him to it.
“Sage!” He squealed and came running over and hugged him. “We brought dinner to eat with you.”
“Yay! Maybe I can try on my costume for you if it’s in those big boxes Daddy has.”
I unlocked the door and the boys ran inside. Burke headed for the dining table while I sat the boxes down then walked away. Those tiny huffs I heard made me chuckle. Burke and I took our time, setting the food out while the boys sat on the couch staring at the packages.
“The suspense is killing them,” Burke whispered.
“I know. Should we eat first or let them open them?”
“The Daddy on one shoulder says they need to eat first, but the Daddy on the other says to stop teasing them,” Burke said. “Daddy dilemma.”
“Indeed, but my inner Daddy’s mirroring yours. Alright, food can wait, let’s give them their prezzies.” We handed them each a box, easy to decipher which, given one was addressed to me and the other to Burke.
“I got a box too, Daddy?” Dempsey asked him.
“Looks that way, little sprite, open it and see what’s inside.”
They tore the tape off and yanked out the contents. “Daddy, it’s my costume!” Sage shouted.
“Daddy, it’s mine too!” Dempsey squealed. “Can we try them on?”
“Let’s have dinner first, then you boys can model them afterward, okay?” Burke said. Their dual sighs were comical.
“Okay, Daddy.”
I’d never seen packages set down so slowly in my life.
Their faces bore the cutest matching pouts.
The two-second walk to the dining table took half a minute as they dragged their feet.
Goddess, I wish I’d filmed this. It was taking all the control I had not to burst into laughter and Burke wasn’t much better off than I was.
“Are you boys excited for the Halloween party?” I asked, aiming to lighten their moods.
“Yes, Daddy.”
“What faces are you carving on your pumpkins?” Burke asked them.
“Umm…” Sage concentrated hard even though I knew his answer. “Turtle power!” That livened him up.
“What about you, Dempsey?”
“I wanna do a sprite fairy but they’re hard so I’m gonna do a mushroom house for them.”
“That sounds lovely.” In the short time we’d been friends with them I learned that Dempsey was as obsessed with fairies as my boy was with Ninja Turtles. Peppier now, the boys chatted about the upcoming party while they ate.
“All done, Daddy,” Sage held his hands up.
“That you are. Let’s get you two wiped down so you can model your new costumes.”
“Yay!” They cheered, hands in the air waiting on their Daddies to wipe them.
All clean, it was time to get them dressed. “Grab your boxes, boys.” They almost took each other out sprinting across the room. “Careful, won’t be any fun to wind up in the infirmary. Burke, feel free to use the playroom to change Dempsey. I’ll take Sage into our room.”
I’d no sooner shut the door then my boy stripped down and stood before me in nothing but his birthday suit.
“Um, Sage, you need to keep your boxers on.”
“Oops, sorry Daddy.” The little imp slid back into them. “Winky is tucked away, now it’s turtle time.”
His costume was packed with puffy fake muscles and instead of a full-face mask it only had the fabric one that went across his eyes. “Do you want Daddy to paint the rest of your face green for the party?” I was sure Becky had face paints in stock this time of year.
“That would be so much fun, Daddy. Then everyone will think I’m a real Ninja Turtle.”
The bottoms of his costume pants were made to slide over his shoes so they just kind of hung over his bare feet for now. “Here are the nunchucks, be careful with them please.” Though made of foam, they were very realistic but there was no reason to go berserk swinging them around.
“I will, Daddy.” I handed him an orange pumpkin-shaped bucket, and he tore out of the room. “Dempsey?”
“Coming!” Dempsey yelled from the playroom and just like the fairy he was dressed as, he flew into the living room.
Squeals and laughter filled our home. Both wonderful and brain damaging. While Burke and I smiled at our silly boys, I’d wished we’d have thought of ear plugs beforehand.
“I love your wings.” Sage tweaked the tips.
“I love your muscles.” Dempsey squeezed the puffy foam on Sage’s arms. “We look totally adorbs!”
“Stand back!” Sage held his hand up, “I’ll show you how to use numb-chucks.”
I almost corrected his pronunciation but, given the moment, I let it pass. He whipped them around, nowhere close to how they were intended, but he was having a blast. I thanked the toy gods they were foam and wouldn’t cause more than a sting if they hit skin.
“Whoa, that’s so cool,” Dempsey said. “Watch this!” He hit a button on his costume and his wings lit up and slowly flapped.
“You’re a real fairy.” Sage grinned. “Can they make you fly?”
“Mmm, I don’t know, let’s see.”
Before broken bones happened, Burke stepped in and stopped his boy from crawling up on the table. “I can guarantee without any injuries that those wings are nowhere near strong enough to hold you, little sprite. They’re just for looks.”
“Bummer.” Dempsey sighed.
“I don’t think so ’cause they’re super pretty,” Sage assured his friend. “Daddy, can we watch a movie?”
“If it were a Friday or Saturday night I’d say yes, but we have work tomorrow bright and early, sweetheart.”
“Now, that’s a bummer,” Sage said and Dempsey giggled.
“Alright, Dempsey, say goodbye to Sage and thank Warner.” Burke gathered up their things in the box.
“Thank you, Daddy Warner.”
That was a first, but as long as Burke was good with him calling me that, then I was too. To me being called Daddy was an honorific and I was truly honored.
“You’re very welcome.”
“Thank you, Daddy Burke,” Sage said, mimicking his friend before he hugged him.
“Alright, little turtle, let’s get your suit put away before it gets dirty.” It took a bit of wrangling, but somehow I got it off him without destroying it in the process. The wiggle-worm did his best to get me to let him sleep in it. That would’ve gone all kinds of wrong.
It was going to be a long few weeks waiting for the Halloween party.
“Daddy, hurry up!”
“Is my boy getting sassy with his Daddy? It’s not too late to cancel, you know.” It would absolutely gut me to do that to him but if this was a sign of how the night would go, I’d rather miss it all together.
“No, Daddy, sorry. I’m just all wound up.”
That he was. “The festival doesn’t open for another hour and we’re a five-minute walk away.” Probably should’ve had him take a nap first. Littles and sugar, hopefully the Ranch staff had the forethought to make everything sugar free.
Too bad I wasn’t a drinker…
Georgie, the Ranch’s main event planner and her crew had the whole shebang going on today.
Barbeque, hayrides around the property, pumpkin carving, bobbing for apples.
Then down in the event rooms was where the mischief and sugary mayhem awaited us.
The part I was most excited to see was the Littles’ costume parade.
“Daddy, how’s my makeup look?”
“Very green.” Guess that wasn’t the right answer since he rolled his eyes. “Naughty boy.”
“Nuh-ugh, I’m a good boy. Just an impatient one ’cause all my friends are waiting.”