Page 53 of Deciding for Little Dallas
“You think what, Bitty?” Daddy asked, sitting on the couch and pulling her between his legs.
“I think this is something Ireallywanted. Like really, really, really wanted!”
Daddy smiled. “Well, let’s get it opened then, silly girl.” Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he opened the lid on the box for her.
“What is it?” he asked, motioning for her to look inside.
Taking a deep breath,?she reached into the box and pulled out the prettiest spooky baby doll she’d ever seen. It was the exact one she’d wanted, but she’d had no idea she would be so gorgeous.
“Oh, she’s beautiful,” she said, studying the doll. Short blonde hair, bloodshot bright green eyes, red and purple veins, and green-tinted skin made up the most gorgeous babydoll she’d ever known.
“What is it?” Daddy asked, looking over her new best friend.
“It’s a Living Dead Doll,” Dallas said with awe in her voice.
“Living dead?” he repeated sounding confused.
“Yes! They’re reborn dolls, custom made to look like something super-duper spooky. They have aliens, monsters, and zombies. This baby is a zombie,” Dallas said, holding the dolly close. Tears rolled down her face. “Oh, Dada, I love her so much.”
Daddy smiled. “She’s beautiful, Bitty. She’s so lucky to have you.”
Rocking the doll back and forth, Dallas was overcome with emotion.
“What are you going to name her, Bitty?”
Dallas pulled the doll away from her chest and studied her closely. “Hers name is Juliet, but I’m callin’ her JuJu for short.”
Pulling them both into his arms, Daddy pressed a kiss to the baby’s head. “Welcome to the family, Juju. We’re glad you’re here.” He made Teefs give JuJu a kiss too.
“I have something for you, Dada,” she said pulling away from him. Nerves made her tummy dance.
“Something for me?” Dada asked.
She nodded and handed him JuJu to hold.
Walking across the kitchen, she opened her diaper bag and pulled out Daddy’s book from the bottom of her bag. She’d been so super sneaky and covered it with diapers so he wouldn’t see it.
“I made you a special Halloween book,” she said, timidly handing it to him. “I drew all the pictures myself.”
“You made this for me, baby?”
Dallas nodded, biting her lip. She reached down and lifted her pacifier to her mouth from the string it was hanging from. Sucking the soother helped her nerves tremendously.
Dada drew her to him and set her in his lap as he opened the card. “Is this us the first day we arrived, Bitty?”
She nodded.
Daddy pressed a kiss to the back of her head as he flipped the pages. Stopping at one particular one, Dallas’s face heated. “This is a picture of you getting your first diaper change.”
“I fink that was when I first realized you were right and I needed—we needed—this,” she said once she’d pulled the pacifier from her mouth.
Daddy squeezed her as she continued looking through pages.
“Thank you, Bitty Baby. Daddy will cherish this forever.”
Dallas carried Juju in a baby carrier strapped to her chest and held Teefs in one hand. She felt like a very busy mommy. She was having so much fun at the big Halloween party. Her belly was full of candy,and her heart was full of love. Everyone looked so festive in their costumes.and the large room had been transformed into a spooky place to celebrate. Tables were decorated with orange and black cloths.,The pumpkins they’d painted in class had been used as table toppers and were paired with flowers and other trinkets to make them even more magical. The carved jack-o’-lanterns all had flickering lights inside them. A fog drifted through the room seeming to be a living thing as strobe lights flashed within its misty depths. Ghosts and bats hung from the ceiling, the air making them appear to dip and swoop about. Skeletons were attached to the walls and table legs, a few missing leg bones that were being used to stir the goodies filling witches’ cauldrons set along the tables. Altogether, the decorations utterly transformed the room into the spookiest and most perfect setting for the Ranch’s Halloween festivities. Dallas thought it all looked very magical.
“Oh, she’s beautiful, Dallas,” Eloise said, walking over and admiring Juju. Her Daddy stood on one side of her and her Papa stood on the other. They made the cutest peanut butter and jelly sandwich Dallas had ever seen. “Is that the one you wanted?”
