Chapter 29 #2
If we were just partners instead of Daddy and little, I’d say something like “your burdens are my burdens.” I must have said that to Ash a few thousand times. But it was a lie. My burdens in that relationship were my own.
I’ve given my burdens to Daddy and he’s shouldered every one. That’s what being a Daddy is for Logan. But that doesn’t mean he has to weather the storms on his own.
I stretch my hand across the table and Daddy wraps his huge wolf paw around it. “Thank you for protecting me from the world’s ugliness. I appreciate it. But a little takes care of her Daddy, too, and I can see you’re going through it. How can I help?”
“I need to solidify support at the club. Could you reach out to some of the subbies? Twitch, Moon . . . I hate to ask but Pence, too? I need to know Bull, Sean, and Harry are with me on these votes. I got blindsided when Chess, Caddy, and Cris abstained on Mac’s vote. I need to be a hundred percent sure.”
“I already messaged Queen Twitch. We’re meeting for lunch tomorrow. I’m sure Sean will support you but I’ll contact Moon. Maybe Bren should contact Pence? I think he still holds a grudge about what happened over the summer.”
Daddy nods. “I haven’t always made the best choices in the heat of the moment. Or maybe they seemed right at the time and it’s only with hindsight that I’m seeing how I’ve hurt my relationships at the club—”
I shake my head. “You’ve done some tough things but I think most of your friends at the club realize they were the right things. I heard Master Harold say Pence was out of control and needed correction. He agreed with the punishment. He took part in it. He can’t blame you for it now, Daddy.”
“I hope not but I need to make sure.”
“Something you can be absolutely sure of is that the house submissives are behind you. Did you notice that almost all of them came to the Opening? Even Apple and Skye, who almost never come to Monday Madness or our other events, were there.”
Daddy rubs his temple, smearing a few red-velvet crumbs into his sideburn. I control a giggle. I’ll clean him up later. A cardinal rule of dealing with a wolfy Daddy? Do not come between him and his food.
“I hadn’t noticed but you’re right.”
“I know facing the storm isn’t easy, Daddy. I know you have lots of worries. But you’re not alone. I’m right here, no matter what happens.”
He squeezes my fingers. “I’ve never doubted that for a second, my little wonder.”
When I wake in the morning, I’m alone in our big bed, which isn’t unusual because Daddy likes to work out with Master Mac first thing and leaves me to have a lie-in.
But he usually wakes me up for nookie before he goes, or at least a blow-job.
That he didn’t this morning niggles against my happiness as I contemplate Livvy coming back, lunch with Queen Twitch, and a mermaid afternoon.
I’m stretching and thinking about unburying myself from the lovely cocoon of warm blankets when the bedroom door opens and Daddy walks in, carrying a tray.
I sit up in the bed. “Morning, Daddy!”
“Morning, baby. How’d you sleep?”
“Excellent.” Which is the truth. I haven’t had any nightmares in weeks. Daddy’s rigid adherence to my bedtime means I wake up every morning feeling rested and refreshed.
It occurs to me that I’ve responded as well to Daddy’s schedule as Livvy’s responded to Gracie’s. Hmm. Well, maybe little humans just need consistency.
“Good to hear.” He sits down on the edge of the bed and fiddles under the tray, opening the supports.
When he has them unfolded, he sets the tray over my legs.
The amazing smell of toasted bagels fills my nose.
Daddy takes one of his mother’s pretty dishcloths—I think the British call them tea-towels—off the top of the tray, revealing a breakfast spread underneath.
There are three kinds of bagels, split open and piping hot.
A bowl of cream cheese sits to one side, with a plate of smoked salmon.
Breakfast tea steams on the other side, adding its spice to the air.
I clap my hands in delight. “Daddy! Ta so much! Did you go to Mr. Jan’s deli so early to get bagels?”
“I did. He sent along homemade cream cheese for his favorite little customer.”
I knit my fingers together to keep them from fluttering all over our breakfast. There’s a garnish of ruby-red grapes with the bagels and I decide that’s safest to start with since everything else looks hot.
I twist off a grape and munch it while I decide between the poppy seed, onion and sesame, and whole grain bagels.
After much deliberation and some stamping on that inner voice that barely ever whispers at me anymore, I decide on the poppy seed bagel.
I point at it and let Daddy prepare it for me.
“Thank you so much for this, Daddy. It’s a lovely way to wake up.”
He smears on cream cheese like he’s mortaring a brick wall. I bite my tongue to keep from saying that I only need a third of what he’s slathering on my bagel. Daddy shows love through generosity. I never want him to think he needs to moderate showing me love.
When he finishes piling on enough smoked salmon to choke a grizzly bear, he offers me the bagel. I take it and try to figure out an approach vector to get it in my mouth, since the heaping bagel is nearly the size of my head.
“I thought you might like breakfast in bed. With Mac and Bren living here now we don’t do it as often as we used to. I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you putting me first, little wonder. I love my girl.”
“I love you too, Daddy.” I mash the salmon down with my thumb and finally manage to get my teeth into it.
I chew ten times, which is necessary with the fresh bagel, before I swallow.
“Queen Twitch said no boys for lunch, so I was thinking we could meet at Konk? I’ll take Livvy with me for fresh air. ”
Daddy nods as he makes his own bagel. “Sure. I hear we’re going to the Aquarium this afternoon.”
Honestly, how are Littles’ Army plans supposed to stay secret when our chat leaks like a sieve?
“Sammi?” I ask.
“Probably. Jack was the one who put it in the caregiver chat.”
“It was just a suggestion,” I explain. “Sammi wanted a day in the Nursery without Bigs—”
“No,” Daddy says immediately.
“Right? Can you imagine? The potential for destruction really can’t be measured by man.”
Daddy chuckles.
“I thought, instead, we could have a mermaid afternoon. That’s gender-inclusive, of course. Mermen are welcome, too. We can go to the Aquarium. Livvy will love seeing all the fish. Then we can have a swim at Blunts followed by naps or quiet play in the Nursery.”
“Emmy, baby, I can’t think of a better way to spend the day. You don’t have to include Livvy in all your plans, though. I’m sure we can find a sitter if you want.”
I start to say I am Livvy’s sitter but stop myself. Daddy clearly wants me to feel like her parent and, if I’m honest with myself, I feel that way more and more every day.
Instead, I say, “There will be times I want to do things just you and me or me and my little friends but today’s not one of them. Today, I want to be mermaids and Livvy’s the littlest mermaid. Wait until you see the swimsuits Bren got for us.”
“Brenna bought you a swimsuit? What’s wrong with the pink polka-dot one? I really like that one.”
He likes that one because it’s vintage, another find of Cynnie’s, and ties in the front so my boobs are presented like eggs in an Easter basket. Daddy’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw me wear it for the first time.
“You’ll like this one, too,” I promise him, hoping seeing me and Livvy as mermaids distracts him from the lack of breast-presentation.
“Well, that sounds like a plan. I’ve got a quick job this morning, just a CCTV design, so I’ll get that banged out while you’re writing.
If you’re going to Konk for lunch, how ‘bout I take Livvy for an hour and take her to see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center? We can meet up there and take the D to the Q train to Coney Island if you want to go to the big aquarium?”
I nod. I love the aquarium in New Jersey.
It’s very cozy and interactive. But that might not be the best thing with Sammi.
I can see him squeezing the life out of a starfish.
Besides, Laurel’s visiting and my dragon friend deserves the big aquarium with its tunnel of stingrays and sharks.
Even though I’m a little scared of the sharks, I won’t be if I’m with my flight.
“I’ll make it an early lunch with Queen Twitch. Brunch if that’s okay with them.”
Daddy boops me on the nose. “Thank you for doing that, baby.”
“It’s not a hardship, Daddy. I love spending time with Queen Twitch. They’ve read everything I’ve read and fifty thousand other books besides. We can talk books for days.”
“I’m glad you’ve found a friend there. I know Bull worries that Twitch’s circle of friends is so small, they don’t have people to lean on when things get rough. Thank you for making such an effort with the other submissives.”
“I’m happy to, Daddy. You asked me to reach out to Master Ten, too. He didn’t come last night. Do you want me to try again?”
Daddy shakes his head. “I appreciate the effort you’ve made. I think we’ve done enough there.”
I’m not going to push because I don’t know all the ins and outs of Daddy’s political maneuvering but I’ve actually come to like Master Ten in the months since I first met him.
He’s a grizzly bear of a Dom. Growly and grumpy.
But I suspect underneath he’s fiercely loyal and expects that of anyone close to him.
When they act in ways he doesn’t expect, he feels betrayed.
I understand betrayal. I still have the scars it leaves, even though Daddy’s helped soften them a lot.
I didn’t expect to ever be anything but scared of Master Ten but I actually feel some sympathy for him.
“Can I invite him to the Aquarium?” I ask.
Daddy winces. “Why?”
“Because it’s neutral ground. He didn’t want to come to the party last night and I understand why but I’d still like to include him whenever we can.
I think he’s very lonely. Besides, Cappa and Fleur will come since they’re pretty much unofficial Littles’ Army members now and, although it is always a good thing for subbies to outnumber Doms, I don’t want it to get too unbalanced. ”
“Particularly since Sammi’s coming.”
“Right? I have visions of him in the shark tank.”
Daddy groans. “Do not tempt fate, little girl. Yes, you can invite him if you want to. Don’t be hurt if he ignores you.”
“I won’t.” I’m happy to keep shining my ray into Master Ten’s life. It doesn’t matter if he refuses to reciprocate. The sun doesn’t care if you draw the black-out blinds; it keeps shining.