A soft moan left my throat as strong fingers carded through my hair and scratched at my scalp. “Hey, sweet boy, it’s time to go inside. You can leave Ember in the car, and he’ll be here when we return.”
I nuzzled Ember with my face again before sighing softly, “Okay, I’ll see you soon, Ember. Don’t worry, we’ll be back.”
I tried to hide my blush as Daniel reached over me and unbuckled my seat belt. Some people might think that was weird, but I loved it. Everything he had done so far had made the night special, and we weren’t even done. He intertwined hisfingers with mine. I loved how small my hand felt in his. He had already made me feel so small and safe.
We quickly got in line and picked out the toppings for our pizza. Daniel chose sausage with various veggies, and I decided on pineapple and ham. I don’t care what others say, pineapple does go on pizza.
Daniel picked out a secluded booth in the back for us to sit in and sat across from me as he placed our drinks in front of us.
“How would you like to play a game while we wait for our food?”
I let out a gasp as I whispered, “Really? We can play a game… I thought you wanted to talk?”
Daniel’s eyes shone with excitement and understanding. “We can do both. I know these types of conversations can be scary, so I figured we’d turn it into a game. Does that sound fun?”
“Yes!”
“Here’s the game. I’m gonna ask you questions like ‘This or That?’ and then we can talk about it. Sound good?”
I couldn’t help myself as I bounced in my seat. I loved games. “Yes! That sounds like so much fun.”
“It is, okay, let’s start. Going on a walk or playing at the park?”
“The park! I love the swings.”
He nodded and kept the game going. “Ice cream or Popsicles?”
“Ice cream! My favorite is mint chocolate chip.”
He reached out and held my hand over the table, his thumb rubbing my skin softly. “Good job, sweetheart. My favorite is chocolate… Comfy jammie set or a onesie?”
My face heated, and my fingers tightened around his. My voice was soft and shaky as I spoke, “I like both, but onesies are my favorite… I have a dragon one with footsies.”
Daniel’s smile made my tummy flip. “I bet they look adorable on you. Training undies or diapers?”
My face felt hot as I glanced around, making sure no one was listening. I looked back at Daniel and received a nod of encouragement. “I wear- um, I like… want to,” I whined, burying my face in my shoulder, frustrated that my words wouldn’t cooperate.
A sob caught in my throat as Daniel let go of my hand. Fear seized my body as I folded into myself, my thumb made its way to my mouth, but I fought the urge to suck and nibbled on the skin. I messed up. I’ve had some dates in the past, but none of them went very far. They always grew impatient and frustrated with me.
I loved being little and wanted nothing more than to have a Daddy to take care of me. But my brain often froze up, making it hard for me to find my words. No one was willing to put up with it, not that I couldn’t blame them; it frustrated me as well. Why couldn’t I get the words out instead of them buzzing around in my head like bugs that were impossible to catch?
Confusion filled me as I felt a strong hand land on the back of my neck. Daniel was sitting next to me in the booth, and his touchwas firm but gentle. His body was a solid presence that warmed me as I started to take deep breaths.
“That’s it… Such a good boy. Take a few more deep breaths for me. I’m going to ask some questions, and all you have to do is nod. Okay?”
Looking up at him, I saw nothing but kindness and understanding, so I took another shaky breath and nodded.
“Good job, sweetheart. Are you uncomfortable with answering the question I asked?”
I shook my head.
“Okay? Is it hard to speak when you’re nervous?”
I nodded.
“Let’s try this a different way. I’m going to show you my hands as I ask the question. I want you to lay your hand on the one you want to choose. If it is both, you can place both hands on top of mine. Sound good?”
I nodded.
