And Sydney felt wrapped up in all of it, part of it. When Levi set a glass of milk in front of her, she dared to say, “Thank you, Daddy.”
His head turned, eyes soft and warm, and he bent to kiss her hair again. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
Roland beamed, sliding a plate in front of her with the Pop-Tarts carefully arranged. “And fromthisDaddy, otherwise known as your official Pop-Tart provider.”
She bit her lip, heart fluttering, giggles building inside her chest. “Thank you, Daddy Roland.”
His eyes sparkled, and he ruffled her hair gently. “That sounds good coming from you, you know that?”
Just as she thought her heart couldn’t feel fuller, Roland’s eyes lit up. “Oh! I almost forgot, I have something for you!”
He darted out of the room, returning a moment later with a small shopping bag. He set it on the table, practically bouncing with excitement. “Okay, so the Pop-Tarts weren’t the only thing I saw thathadto come home with me yesterday. You don’t have anything like this here yet, because as you know, we were woefully unprepared for you. But I saw them, and I thought that maybe you would like to use them when you come over here? It could make your meal times with us more fun.”
He pulled out two brightly colored sets; each with a cup, plate, bowl, and little fork and spoon. One was a vivid pink with chubby bunnies frolicking across it. The other had dancing bananas in blue-striped pajamas, their cartoon faces goofy and cheerful.
Sydney burst into giggles, covering her mouth. “Oh no! How am I supposed to choose? They’re both so funny!”
Roland grinned. “I knew you’d like them. Hmm… how about this? We mix and match. Bunnies for your plate, bananas for your cup. Or the other way around! You can create your own set.”
Her giggles doubled, and she nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!”
Levi chuckled, reaching over to tuck her hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered for a second, the touch so gentle it made her heart ache in the best wayever. “You’re easy to please, little miss.”
The three of them set to work arranging her new dishes, Roland making a show of deciding which combinations were the most stylish, Levi pretending to judge them like some grumpy food critic but unable to hide his smile.
And through it all, Sydney kept waiting, waiting for one of them to bring up last night. Her punishment. The tears. The storm of emotions. But they didn’t. Levi and Roland treated her like nothing had changed, like she wasn’t fragile or in trouble, like she was justtheirs. The past was left in the past, and this morning was bright and new.
She let herself lean into it. She took a bite of the Pop-Tart, grinning at Roland’s eager look, and when Levi offered her a forkful of his eggs “so she could tasterealbreakfast,” she took that too, feeling cherished.
For the first time, the idea of staying didn’t feel like something she had to earn. It felt like something she already had.
“Now, just wait until I get you some bagels to try!” Roland told her after she polished off three Pop-Tarts while Levi scowled at them, though his eyes betrayed his amusement.
Chapter Seventeen
Roland
The house felt too quiet without her.
Roland stood at the window, arms crossed tight, watching the path where Levi had walked Sydney back to the main building. The night had settled soft and cool over the Ranch, shadows long beneath the outside lights. The snow from the previous day had all but melted away, but it wouldn’t be long before the weather would turn completely and the cold would settle in, blanketing the Ranch and all its inhabitants in its clean—if slightly cold—embrace.
Inside, everything felt sharp, too empty. They’d spent all day together, and it was with a huge amount of reluctance that Roland had agreed that it was probably best if Sydney didn’t spend another night with them. Not so soon. Especially not after all the emotional upheaval of the last few days.
He turned from the window, pacing the length of the living room. The blanket she’d curled up with still lay crumpled on the couch, carrying the faintest trace of the lavender and vanilla perfume Roland had started to recognize as pure Sydney. A hair tie sat forgotten on the armrest, small and unassuming, but it made his chest ache.
Little things that showed that she was here, starting to make her mark on them.Roland could only hope that those marks would be permanent. That they’d have time to get more than a few cups, bowls and juice boxes.
His mind wouldn’t stop spinning. He thought of the way she’d looked at them. She was so open and sweet, but always with a flicker of fear beneath it all. Exactly like the nickname he’d picked for her, she was like a bird perched on their hands, trusting for a moment but ready to fly at the first wrong move.
What if she’s only letting us in because she feels she has to? Or even worse, what if we break this before it even begins?
The sound of boots in the hall broke his spiral. Heavy, steady. Levi’s. The jingle of keys, the creak of the door.
And then he was there, filling the doorway, windblown, solid, his gaze warm but sharp the moment he saw Roland.
“Hey,” Levi’s voice was low, soothing. “You alright?”
Roland didn’t answer. Couldn’t. His throat was too tight. He crossed the room in a few strides, fingers catching at Levi’s sleeve, just needing to feel him there.
