Two months later…
Niko
I’m excited when I pull around to the back of the house and park. It’s been a long day that went longer than I expected. In fact, I’ve told Brea to eat dinner without me because I knew I’d be late.
Besides the fact that my meetings with the head of fundraising went longer than expected, I had to make a special stop on the way home to pick up a surprise for Brea.
After jumping down from the cab, I round to the passenger side to grab my surprise from the seat. I grin as I peek inside the small animal carrier. The tiny kitten looks scared, but she’ll be okay for a few more minutes until she meets her new mom. I open the back door, completely undetected by the three people sitting at the kitchen table, and I set the kitten’s carrier down just inside the room.
The kitchen is filled with laughter and talking, so I decide to leave the kitten out of sight for now. Looks like dinner was pizza, but they’ve finished eating. Brea is in her booster seat, Walker is across from her, and Elaine is sitting next to Walker.
It took Brea all of about three days to convince Elaine she was a member of the family and should sit and eat with us. She also convinced Elaine to let her help out in the kitchen.
I was leery about the idea at first. I never ever want Brea to work her ass off like she did in her childhood home. Nor will I ever make her feel like she’s not my equal. She’s not her mother. She’s my partner. Hopefully, she’ll agree to be my wife. Soon.
In the end, Brea managed to convince both me and Elaine that as my Little girl she needed chores, and those chores include things like setting the table and cleaning her room. She’s sneaky, but at least Elaine sits with us at the table now.
Walker has fallen under Brea’s spell too. It feels like he’s in my kitchen half the nights of the week, though I know he’s also seeing a woman. He hasn’t told us her name yet because he doesn’t want to jinx it. Apparently, she’s a member of Surrender. They’ve gone out several times. He has his hands full because she insists she’s not Little.
I don’t envy his challenge, but if he sees something in her she hasn’t tapped into yet, then I believe him. And if anyone can convince a woman to try age play, it’s Walker.
The other end of the table is covered with school books and open notebooks. Color-coded of course because my kitten likes her school work organized. She’s taking the GED this Saturday, and she’s been studying all the time for weeks.
I’ve tried to get her to understand it’s not the kind of test she has to get a high score on, but she won’t listen to me. She’s also got a pile of SAT and ACT books she’s already working through.
She’s driven and determined, and she’s going to be the best teacher in the world. I love watching her learn and thrive, and I try not to think about the fact that soon she’ll start attending classes in person at the university, and eventually she’ll get a teaching job.
It’s still years off, but she won’t be a twenty-four-seven Little anymore. I’m going to have to loosen the reins on what she wears and how she fixes her hair when she goes to classes. Not a lot. My heart wouldn’t be able to take that. But some. Enough to keep her happy while reminding her in little ways that she’s mine. My Little girl. My life. My world.
I lean against the counter, watching the scene in front of me unfold. My favorite people in the world. Walker is explaining some case he’s working on, and Elaine and Brea are laughing at the antics of something that happened in the courtroom.
Suddenly, Brea spots me. Her eyes light up and she shoves her chair back to jump down from her booster seat and run toward me. “Daddy.” She leaps into my arms.
It’s totally worth leaving the house two or three days a week to work just so I get this kind of reception when I return home. Brea always acts like I’ve been gone two months.
I tuck one hand under her bottom, and rub her back with the other, tugging on one of her braids so she’ll tip her head back and kiss me.
When our lips touch, all is right with the world. It always is. I kiss her like I mean it. I always do.
Finally, I reluctantly break the kiss and smile at her. “I brought you a surprise.”
Her eyes light up and she bounces in my arms. “What is it?”
I lower her to the floor before bending down to open the carrier so I can reach in and pick up the tiny kitten.
Brea’s wide eyes grow wider and her hand comes to her heart as she stumbles back a few steps. “A kitten? You got me a kitten?” She looks shocked. Like she can’t believe this is happening.
I chuckle as I hold the little kitty up to my chest and pet her soft fur. I’ve known about her for a week, but she wasn’t old enough to adopt until today.
The kitten squirms in my arms, twisting around as if she wants to see her new mom.
Finally, Brea seems to process what’s happening and takes a step closer. “She’s mine?” she asks incredulously.
“Yes, kitten. She’s yours. I thought my kitten needed a kitten. Some friends of mine from Surrender own an animal shelter called Safe Harbor. Cindy and Hudson. One of these days we’ll have them over for dinner. Cindy carefully selected this sweet girl for you. She wasn’t fully weaned until yesterday.”
Brea giggles as she reaches out to stroke the little cat’s chin. “Can I hold her?”
“Of course.” I carefully dislodge the tiny claws from my shirt and hand her to Brea.
The room is silent while Brea cradles her new pet, rocking her in her arms.
I glance at Walker and Elaine. They’re both grinning widely. We all like to please Brea. It’s impossible not to. She’s magnetic and so alive. She lights up the world.
When she finally lifts her face, there are tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Daddy.”
I squat down to be at her level. “You’re welcome, Little one. Don’t cry.” I wipe away her tears.
“I’m so happy, Daddy. Those are happy tears.” She sniffles.
I chuckle. “I know they are, but I don’t like it when you cry.”
“Then you have to stop doing nice things for me,” she admonishes.
I laugh harder. “That’s never going to happen, kitten. Guess I’ll just have to get used to the tears.” I pull her into my embrace, careful not to squish the kitten.
I kiss Brea’s forehead and hold her in my arms. I’m so damn blessed. My Little girl is thriving. Her family is also doing better every day. She’s at peace, and she’s all mine.