Page 50 of Daddy's Little Worker
“What do you think about coming here on Saturday so you can play with some other Littles?” he inquired.
Frankie pulled her head out of his grip. “No.” She shook her head. “I’m okay playing by myself.”
Noah’s eyebrows pulled together. Why didn’t she want to play with any other Littles? He hadn’t asked before, but he thought she would be interested in it. He was surprised by her reaction.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. “Why don’t you want to play with the other Littles who come?”
She shrugged and looked away. “I just don’t.”
His eyes zeroed in on her, clutching her hands together, and that was when he realized.
“Are you worried they might tease you for your hands shaking?” he gently asked.
“No.” Her voice broke.
Noah sat on the ground and pulled Frankie into his lap, holding her close. “Baby, they would never make fun of you. They would love to have you to play with.”
She shook her head again before burying it in his chest. “I don’t want to, and you can’t make me.”
He sighed and snuggled her even closer to him, if that was possible, and slowly rocked back and forth.
“I don’t want to go and play with them,” she mumbled.
“Shh.” He rubbed her back. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. You’re okay.”
Her whole body relaxed as he said those words. Was she really that worried and stressed about playing with them? He didn’t want her to be playing alone forever. He wanted her to have friends.
“Let’s go home,” he gently coaxed her.
Frankie was passedout in their bed, all snuggled up to Lita and his pillow. Noah had been lying right next to her, but he wasn’t able to fall asleep. His mind was going a mile a second, trying to figure out he could help her, encourage her out of her comfort zone, but also nurturing and loving her.
Noah didn’t want to push her away. He didn’t want to show her that he didn’t care about what she wanted, no matter how unintentional it was. He did, but he also wanted her to make friends so she could hang out with some other Littles.
“Daddy?” she mumbled, rolling over more onto his side.
He sat on his side of the bed and started to run his hands through her hair, trying to calm her down. “I’m right here,” he whispered.
She sighed, and her whole body relaxed. Noah couldn’t help but smile. Frankie was so special to him. He wanted to give her the world and shield her from anything bad.
“Come lie with me, Daddy,” she whispered. “Want a cuddle.”
Chuckling, he pulled back the covers and slipped under them, allowing Frankie to cuddle right up to him. He was going to call one of the other guys to get their opinion of the situation.
Now it was going to have to be for another time. Monday when she went back to work. As much as he didn’t want her to go back to work, he has to let her. He promised she could.
Noah just wanted her not to work and be able to relax and enjoy life, but he figured Frankie wouldn’t like that. If she felt bad for getting paid while she was on leave for her injury, she wouldn’t want him paying for everything.
But maybe one day she would. Maybe if he showed her it was okay, she would warm up to the idea.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Nothing,” he whispered. “Just go back to sleep.”
Frankie let out a little noise of disagreement. “I don’t like that, Daddy. Something is bothering you.”
He sighed. “Just work stuff,” he partially told the truth. “Just some work things I’ve been trying to go through. And Baxter hasn’t gotten back to me yet.”
Noah felt bad for lying to her, but he didn’t need her worrying.
