The first of her two messages makes me snort a little derisively.If only she knew…But my kink is something I keep very private from my family. They don’t need to know what gets my engine revving. That would be weird. I mean, sure, if Justin slips up and calls me Daddy in front of them, they can just think it’s light daddy kink and we can leave it at that. But the age regression stuff? That’s just between him and me, and any of the kinky friends we make.
Still, everything else she says makes sense.
Me
I know. But I’m scared of that, too.
I’m scared that Justin will think that this is too much, too fast. That he’ll want to pause everything or stop it completely.
That he won’t feel the same way I do.
I’m not used to being anything other than confident and assertive in my relationships. But today, with the separation and the lack of sleep, I’m off-kilter.
Mandy
For what it’s worth, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. He’s head over heels for you, too.
I remind myself of the call last night, of Justin asking me to stay on the phone with him as he drifted off, and of the conversation we had the night before I left. He’s been thinking about trying a wetting scene, having an accident, making himself vulnerable and embarrassed and reliant on his Daddy —on me— to look after him.
He wouldn’t want any of the above if he didn’t feel like I do, would he?
No.
So why does the idea of telling him how I feel still freak me out?
Chapter Fifteen
“Weekendawaygamessuck,”I say as soon as I open the door. Gabe is smiling and steps into the house with his arms outstretched.
The first away game was rough. I missed him so much and I was happy when he video called me and stayed with me until I fell asleep. He’s had a few away games since. Most nights, we’ve fallen asleep virtually, but once he went out to be the designated driver of sorts. None of them were actually driving, but he made sure everyone made it into their own hotel rooms at the end of the night. He still texted me a goodnight around one in the morning.
This time, they lost the game by two points and none of them went out.
Before I can sink into his warmth, a flash of orange smooshes itself between us and wraps arms around Gabe’s leg.
“Gabe! It’s sleepover party time!”
“Sleepover party?” Gabe’s eyes go from Owen to me and then back to Owen.
“Daddy said we’re gonna have a sleepover with the three of us. Can we play Go Fish and watch the penguin movie and–”
“Buddy, take a breath.” I lay a hand on Owen’s shoulder and smile down at him. “Also, you’re dripping water. How about you go back outside, and I’ll be there soon.”
We watch Owen scurry back through the house and out the door. The pool is only a few inches deep, but it’s within clear view so I can keep an eye on him. I feel an arm wrap around my waist and I’m suddenly burying my face against Gabe’s neck, fighting off tears that have been threatening to spill for hours now.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Gabe’s arm tightens around me. I take a deep breath. It doesn’t help much, but I push through the lump in my throat to speak.
“Owen was excluded from a birthday party today. While he was in the same house.”
“What?” Gabe’s arm falls from around my waist, and he stares at me. “How does that even happen?”
“Apparently Karen hosted a birthday party for one of the other cousins. Cake, presents, games, the whole works. They all had a sleepover last night and, when I dropped Owen off this morning, she didn’t say anything about it. The kids must have still been asleep, and she had Owen downstairs with Harold while she hosted his cousin and ten other kids once they woke up.”
His face contorts with confusion, “Wait…what? Why not send him upstairs when they woke up?”
It’s a valid question, but I’m not finished yet. “It gets worse.” Shaking my head, I continue, “The only reason I found out at all was because the football team wrapped up early and I came to get him an hour before I said I would. He was eating a sandwich while the other kids had nachos and cake, ice cream, toys…all that kind of stuff. I could hear them from downstairs, so I know Owen did too.”
“Are you fuc-” Gabe stops himself and closes his eyes. He looks like I felt. Like I still feel. “Why would they do that? Why deliberately exclude him? Did you ask her?”
