Page 47 of Hearing Little Hadley

New coloring pencils.

“Oh. That’s a nice thing to ask for,” Mindy said, looking worried.

Good?

Mindy looked confused and Finn stepped in to help. “Hadley is asking if you’re okay. You looked worried.”

“I asked Santa for a puppy. Maybe that was selfish. Maybe I should have asked for something smaller like Hadley.”

Hadley shook her head and flipped through her cards.

Daddy.

“Aw, that’s so sweet, Peeps. I feel the same way,” Finn said, kissing her forehead.

Mindy looked even more confused and Hadley felt bad for her.

“Hadley was saying she’d already gotten everything she wanted for Christmas because she and I are in a relationship now and I am her Daddy. I feel the same way, there’s nothing else I could really ask Santa for because I already got everything I wanted.”

Hadley squeezed Finn’s hand tighter before bringing it up to her mouth and kissing it.

“It’s really cool how you guys have your own little language. Hadley just holds up a card and you interpret based off a single word. It’s like you’re the only one who knows what she’s saying.”

Hadley thought Finn had been the only one to actually hear her in her entire life, metaphorically of course. He’d been theonly one who never seemed to mind her long explanations while she tried to explain herself, or her need for extra clarification, he never scolded her for her flapping or tiptoe walking. He really did accept her just as she was and Hadley was so thankful for him.

Finn smiled. “She’s my whole heart, of course I know what she’s saying; I’ve always known what she’s saying.”

Chapter Seventeen

Finn watched as Hadley showed her card to Santa and nodded in excitement at something he said. She hugged the jolly man while Finn snapped pictures on his phone. Santa helped her off his lap and she ran back to him.

“Did you make the nice list?” Finn asked.

She nodded and held up a new pack of coloring pencils.

“Wow, such a good girl,” he said, before kissing her lips sweetly.

“Alright, baby, I got it all switched for you,” Mindy’s Daddy said as he walked back over just in time to see her sit on Santa’s lap.

“Thank you, Daddy!” she said before running to the man and climbing in his lap.

“Mindy wanted to see if I could move her Reindeer Team spot to 7:30 so she and Hadley could be together. Master Derek worked some Rawhide magic and got it switched around,” her Daddy explained.

Hadley jumped up and down in excitement making the men chuckle.

“Master Derek has worked a lot of magic for us,” Finn agreed.

Mindy rushed down the stairs and showed her Daddy the pack of stickers she’d received. “Did you really get it changed, Daddy?”

“I really did, little one.”

“Yay! Now we can take care of the reindeer together.”

Hadley nodded and the two Littles hugged each other tight.

“Alright, our little Christmas angels, do you want to go decorate cookies now?” Finn asked.

Both girls nodded at rapid speed. The men led the girls over to the cookie table and waited as they each stood in line to get a cookie shape. Once they had one, they brought a plate over. Each plate had a cookie, a glob of red and green icing, and a small cup of sprinkles. Finn laughed as Hadley quickly gave hers to Mindy.

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