Page 47 of Darius

“I can sit in my own chair,” she said with an annoyed look.

“You could, but then I’d be sad. You don’t want your Daddy to be lonely, do you?” he asked and winked at her.

She studied him for a bit and then relaxed. “No, Daddy. I’m happy to be with you.”

“Perfect. Try this.” He handed her a piece of bacon.

She took a big bite and squirmed in delight as she chewed. “So good,” she mumbled.

“No talking with your mouth full, Mara.”

She turned her head to consider him and slowly held out her bacon toward her Daddy. He chomped down and hummed, “Mm!”

Darius made a production of eating the treat safely and swallowing the taste before saying, “Thank you for sharing.”

She nodded and popped the last section in her mouth.

“A Little girl cannot live by bacon alone. Waffle or eggs next?”

Mara pointed to the eggs.

“Good girl.” Darius complimented her for following his directions and loaded a fork with a healthy bite of her choice. He loved feeding her. Taking care of her made him happier than he remembered being.

Alternating between eating and offering Mara portions, Darius chatted easily with his Little girl. After devouring more than she expected, Mara shook her head at the next bite and rested against his chest.

“No more for me, Daddy.”

“Tell me if you change your mind.” Darius polished off the last of the waffle and leaned back to rub his still flat tummy with a groan. “Maybe I should order a few less things next time.”

“We could survive on that for the rest of the week,” Mara said with a giggle that went straight to his heart.

He loved hearing her carefree and happy. The thought dashed through his mind that he needed to finish this conflict with the bank. She didn’t relax like this often.

Her fingers smoothed over his brow. “No bad vibes, Daddy. This is a blissful place.”

“You are right, Little girl. How about if I roll this cart back into the hallway so the kitchen can pick this up while you decide if we’re going to play a game, do a puzzle, read a book, or something else you’d enjoy?”

“Oh, that sounds like fun.”

When he returned, Darius discovered she’d gone to check out the toy bin first. As she stared at the choices, Mara shook her head as if overwhelmed by her options.

“I can’t select one. Everything will be fun.” Glancing around the room, she pointed to the open closet where a thick garment bag hung. “That says dress-up clothes.”

“Maybe you should check inside,” he suggested.

She walked over to look at the protective sack closer and spotted the zipper. Grabbing the tab, she pulled it down, revealing a bunch of brightly colored garments. She ran her hand over a purple velvet dress. “This is so pretty.”

“Want to try the princess dress on? There’s a crown that matches,” Darius asked from behind her.

Spinning to face him, Mara asked, “Can I play with the clothes too?”

“Of course. That dress will slip over your head. Let’s see if you like this one.” Darius slid the beautiful costume off the hanger and gathered the fabric from the hem to help her put the garment on.

The fabric slid easily over her body and draped formally around her. Darius secured the back with the Velcro tabs and considered her outfit. He nodded and reached for an item on the top shelf of the closet. Unwrapping the package, he revealed a gorgeous tiara with purple stones that glittered in the light.

“You definitely need this.” He set the headpiece on her hair, adjusting the attached combs to secure the sparkling touch. “Now, you look like a queen.” He opened the closet further to reveal a full-length mirror.

“Come see what you think,” he said, beckoning her forward.