Page 22 of A Little More Love

“Happy surprise,” I agreed.

“Thank you for sharing your coloring books and crayons.”

“You’re welcome. Do you like to color?” I asked.

“I do. Do you?”

I nodded.

“Do you like to do other crafty stuffs too?” she asked.

“Yas, huh, I started making slime a few weeks ago and now it’s my favorite craft.”

“Slimes?” she gasped.

“Is so fun! I found the recipe online,” I said. I left out the part about how I put it in Daddy’s coat pockets and got put in the highchair of shame. I wanted to make a good impression after all.

“I’m gonna look when I get home!”

“How old are you?” I asked, moving the conversation along. If we didn’t get it moving soon, I was gonna be four by the time alla the growed-ups started talking again.

“Um, twenty-four.”

I shot her acut-the-bullshitlook and she giggled. “About four. You?”

“Eight.”

That time she shot me a look and I giggled. “‘bout two.”

“You have two Daddies?”

I nodded. “You?”

Her movements stopped as she stilled for a minute. “My Daddy passed away.” Her eyes filled with tears and I felt really bad for asking.

I reached forward and covered her hand. “I’m so sorry.” How horrible. I didn’t even want to think about life without Daddy or Papa.

She smiled and wiped her eyes. Tifton rubbed her back. “Thank you. I miss him so manies, but Tiffy and the other men take good care of me.”

“Like Malice?” I said, wondering who the large man who dropped her off was to her.

She nodded. “We went to pet the animals at the park today. We were supposed to do goat yoga, but a baby goat headbutted Malice and he got growly.”

“Oh no.” Poor Malice.

“It was still fun. He said we needed a day off from working. We’re building a bed and breakfast for people like us,” she said, picking up her crayon and coloring again.

“Like us?”

“Yeah. For people with kinks like ours.”

“Oh! That’s so exciting!”

“Daddy and I talked about opening a kink friendly bed and breakfast for a long times. Then when he died, I decided to try and make our dream come true. Tiffy, Malice, Cane, Brock, Stone, and Havoc all helped me so manies. And they’re gonna work there too! Is gonna be all of us living in one big house- kinda like The Brady Bunch.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Papa, Daddy, and Uncle Tifton communicating over our heads with looks and nods. Finally! I thought they was gonna be sitting here in awkward silence forever.

“That’s beautiful. Your Daddy would be so proud. And you’re making a safe place for people in the community. That’s so ‘portant.”

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