Page 44 of Tommy

He looked me up and down. “I’ll find a patch of snow that isn’t as deep. But it’s the last thing we’re doing before we go back inside. I’m worried your body won’t react well to the cold.”

“I have this coat, it’ll keep me warm,” I said, shimming my shoulders in it. I still couldn’t quite believe how ill-prepared I’d been to come here. I’d seen a weather report so I knew it was going to be cold, I just didn’t account for knee-high snow, or snow at all if I was being honest.

As Hardin went to collect all the trinkets for the snow Daddy, I stood in front of it, hands on my hips like I was a judge. If I had to score it, it was already a ten out of ten. It still needed a hat and a face, but that bulge, all my handiwork. I had a knack for making bulges bigger it seemed.

“Are you looking at it’s snow dick?” he asked, catching me off guard.

“Uh—I—”

“It’s ok if you were, but I must draw the line at giving head to a snowman,” he said. “You’ll be in bed for days with a cold. And we’ve already discussed why I don’t want that.”

Secretly, I think he’d love taking care of me. He’d probably make a little stink and then eventually come around to the idea of being there for me, doting with his homemade soups and breads. It was wild to me that he kept this side of himself hidden from the town.

“Don’t worry, there’s only one snow Daddy I want to give head to,” I giggled.

“Oh, really?” he asked, fixing the buttons on the face. It was within reach for me, but only on my tiptoes. “You know, I’m starting to wonder if you’ve got another Daddy on the side you haven’t introduced me to yet.”

I scoffed. “The last man I had any type of Daddy fling with was like four years ago. He was more Daddy by name and less Daddy by nature.”

“And by that you mean what exactly?”

“He just liked being called Daddy, he didn’t actually do any of the things a Daddy should do,” I explained.

He pulled the Santa hat from my head. “And where do I fall on this scale?” he asked, fixing the hat to the top of the snow Daddy’s domed head.

“You’re sweet, you’re caring, and you make me food,” I said.

Hardin turned away, but I saw him smiling just before he looked up. “Anything else?”

I tackled him from the side with a hug. “You’re also cuddly and warm, not right now, because we’re outside.”

He wrapped an arm around me and stroked a hand through my hair. “I’m not sure everyone would agree with you about that,” he said. “But I’ll take your word for it.” With his hands on me, we stepped back together. “Ok, let’s see this masterpiece then.”

“It’s missing a nose,” I immediately said.

“You were supposed to get a twig or something.”

“I know, I know, I got distracted.”

Hardin kept an arm over my shoulder, pulling me in closer for a hug. “At least you’re admitting to staring at the snow dick,” he said. “Come on then. Let’s get this snow angel out of the way. I’m ready to head back inside.” He looked down at me with a big smile. “And you are too. Your nose is all pink.”

I wiped a hand at my face. My nose was cold, a little numb too. I sniffled in. “Can we have a bubble bath together later?”

“You want me in your bubble bath?”

“Only if you want. Maybe you want to play with my rubber duckies.”

He bit his lower lip and hummed. “Or maybe you want to play with mine.” He winked.

I definitely wanted to play with his duckie, and I wasn’t talking about the rubber ones either. But he also wasn’t sayingnoto the bubble bath either. I really needed to send my agent a large thank you letter for sending me out here. It was soul cleansing. I didn’t know if I’d ever be the same again once it was over. I hoped not. I’d rediscovered some lost inspiration.

After making a snow angel, I realized why he wanted me inside afterwards. It was so freaking cold to submerge yourself into the bed of snow, more when you move your arms and legs up and down to create the snow angel pattern. But at least it looked cute, and Hardin took a picture for me on the phone, which he was still adamant about not connecting the internet. I didn’t blame him, we were having fun in our bubble together, I didn’t need to show my friends how much fun I was having.

As the days passed together, I found myself walking lighter, almost like the overwhelming weight of the world had stopped its impending crush on my soul. I still had two weeks left, but I was already dreading the moment I would have to leave this place, and the way Daddy Hardin had made me feel.

The snow Daddy outside stayed completely untouched, only growing as more snow fell on top of it. It was an additional job I took on to maintain the snow Daddy and make sure he didn’t get too big.

It was on the seventh day of my stay when I was told there was a surprise outside. It was the middle of the afternoon and I’d been sitting inside my blanket fort working on pages for the Teddy Wars comic. It was first time any idea had come to me, and my fingers had been itching to actually sketch out the ideas, and at least get back to the tyrannical Teddy King who was attempting to mind-control all the teddies in the city.

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