Page 58 of Hunting Little Hope
And I really, with all of my heart, wished it would. My Little had more love in him than any one person could possibly hold. I’d known that from the beginning. I’dlovedthat about him from the start. He, more than anyone I knew, deserved to give it freely.
And both Hope and Lee deserved to share in that love with me.
I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down my face. Now wasn’t the time to worry about possibilities and what might go wrong. Now was the time to focus on both of our Littles and see that they got the care they deserved.
I pushed away from the window and turned back to them.
Hope was tucked against Lee’s side now, her cheek resting just below his collarbone, pacifier abandoned somewhere in the sheets. Perry lay half-sprawled over both of them like he hadn’t quite decided who he belonged to most.
My mouth twitched.
He belonged to himself.
We just got the privilege of orbiting.
“Alright,” I said quietly, letting my voice settle into something steady. “As much as I’m tempted to let you three stay tangled up all morning, we probably need to get you all out of bed and cleaned up.”
Perry groaned softly, nuzzling closer into Lee in a way I hoped signaled we’d be seeing loads more of going forward.
I crossed the room and nudged his ankle with my foot. “You especially, naughty boy.”
He peeked up at me through messy curls, cheeks still flushed, eyes glassy and satisfied in a way that made my stomach tighten all over again.
“You’re bossy today, Daddy,” he muttered.
“That’s exactly how you like me,” I replied easily.
A faint smirk tugged at his mouth before he rolled onto his back with exaggerated reluctance. I reached over and brushed my knuckles over his jaw, needing to touch him, and check he was fully back with us. “You good?” I asked, softer, just for him.
His expression shifted from playful to soft and open in a heartbeat. “Yeah,” he said after a second. “Yeah, I’m good, Daddy.”
That was what mattered.
Lee squeezed Hope’s hip gently. “How about you, sweetheart?”
She nodded at first, then hesitated.
I saw it before the others did, that flicker of fear behind her eyes and the way her fingers tightened slightly in the sheets.
“Shower,” I said lightly, giving her an out. “You can get cleaned up in here, and I’ll take Perry back to our room to get him cleaned up and dressed. Then we might see about breakfast?”
The words landed like a stone dropped into still water, and Hope froze. The change was subtle, but it was there. Her shoulders tensed and her breathing changed.
Lee felt it immediately, too. His hand went still at her waist.
And my ever perceptive Little pushed himself up on an elbow, brows drawing together. “Hey…?”
I stepped closer, lowering myself to sit at the edge of the bed, against Lee’s hip, so I wasn’t looming over her. “Talk to us,” I said gently, reaching for one of her still, cold hands. I gave her fingers a gentle nudge and was rewarded with a return squeeze. Whatever it was, if she waswith us,we could handle it. Hope wasn’t able to meet my eyes, but for now I would allow her to keep her focus on Lee’s chest if that helped her get the words out. “Whatever it is, button, we can help. Or at the very least, listen.”
“I still haven’t responded to Troy’s message,” she finally told us, the words so soft they were barely audible. “And if we go out for breakfast, I’ll probably have to face him and Archie.”
“You don’t owe either of them an immediate response, button,” I interjected. “You were transparent with them about seeing us, and never made them any promises.”
Her fingers tightened in mine. “But I can’t just avoid them forever,” she whispered.
“No,” I agreed gently. “You can’t. But you also don’t have to handle it before you’re ready.” I also didn’t think it was only about the response she felt she owed whoever this Troy was.
Lee’s thumb resumed its slow stroke along her hip. Perry shifted closer to her other side, silent but present.
