Page 69 of Soft
“I’ll put on something soothing for now. Then I’ll get you some easy to eat foods. Stay here,” he said.
From there, he did just as he said he would. Gentle jazz music floated through the speakers around the room. A sandwich, some chips, and a cookie were easy enough to get down. And then he was holding me close, like he never wanted to let me go.
I’d never felt so cared for in all my life. My parents had never— to my memory anyway— taken this much time or effort to make me feel loved. Yet Daddy did so happily.
"Can I read to you?" he asked later on.
“Yes, pwease.”
I was still scared, underneath. The fear hadn't gone anywhere. But it no longer felt like a battle I had to fight alone.
He was gone for a few minutes. I heard the quiet sounds of the kitchen from down the hall.
When Daddy came back with a book, he also held a bottle full of warm milk. I made the grabby motion for it. He laughed,then handed it to me as he readjusted everything so he could be beside me.
I found the nipple without looking as soon as he held it close. Sucking gently, the milk came slow and even. All of my previous negative emotions evaporated. I thought about nothing except this exact moment.
Bottle time. Wells and Daddy cuddles. Happy, warm feelings.
I was loved.
Daddy had come in when I needed him. He’d shown up with medicine, a gift, and just the right amount of support to make me not feel like burden. As he read the story, I drifted in and out of awareness.
His finger rubbed against my skin, from my temple down to my chest. He touched me all over, each moment soothing me more and more. It allowed me to sink deeper into my Little mind in the way I so rarely allowed myself.
But I knew I’d be okay with Daddy. He didn’t need me to be big. He didn’t need me to answer questions.
He wanted my good times and my bad.
CHAPTER 23
Paxton
The call request came as I was sitting on the back porch with a cup of coffee that was bordering on too cold to enjoy. With the calm of the morning going so well, I didn't want to move.
I looked at the screen.Princess Pack — Group Call.
There was a collection of faces in boxes spread across the screen. It looked like they weren’t together for once. I grinned as they all started talking at once.
"There he is," Byron said.
"Paxton Wells." Princess Aster pressed one hand to his chest like he'd been waiting for an eternity to see me. "Finally."
Fisher giggled. "We were starting to think you'd gone feral.”
"He's not feral, he's in Louisiana, it's different," Doyle said, and then he pointed at the camera, which meant he was pointing at me, expression both delighted and wounded. "You, mister. You have beenquiet."
I took a slow sip of my coffee. "Hi."
"Hi.That's all you've got. You move to a whole new city, you're living your whole new life, and you call us approximately… uh,never, and all you've got ishi."
"I've been keeping in touch. Texting counts."
"Emojis aren't texts, Paxi," Byron’s Daddy Jasper pointed out.
"Some of them were words." I scowled at the screen, frustrated even the Daddies had jumped in.
Princess Aster, ever the diplomat, stepped in smoothly. "We're glad you answered. We've missed you. How are you settling in? How's the house? How's your father? How's everything?"
