Ellery and I both answered yes at the same time as Daddy brought all the bags and placed them on the coffee table. He grabbed my drink and took it to the kitchen. I heard a few cabinets open and then close, followed by a quiet cheer. I giggled, my Daddy was so silly and cute.
We took our usual seats on the floor in front of the table as Daddy came back with a sippy cup for me. He placed my red cup in front of me and then handed Ellery their bag before taking mine and putting the open food container in front of me.
We had each gotten a box of chicken tenders and fries, and I couldn’t wait to eat them. I wasn’t quite as little as I was at Daddy’s house, so I was able to feed myself, but it was definitely harder than it usually was. I dropped several fries, and somehow the sauce had gotten all over my shirt.
My sippy was half empty from sipping while I ate, but Daddy got me chocy milk. It was my favorite, and I couldn’t let a single drop go to waste. Grabbing my cup, I wrapped my lips around the spout and gulped down the delicious milk.
Once I was finished, I turned to Daddy and held out my hands. “Dada, I icky.” Daddy chuckled and reached into his bag on the floor, pulling out a package of wipes. “Oh my, that must have been some really yummy chicken, huh?” Daddy pulled out a wipe and began to wipe each finger, making me giggle. “Berry yums!” He pulled out another wipe and brought it toward my face. I wanted to squirm away, but Daddy cupped the back of my head.
“Nuh uh, baby, we need to clean your face. Be a good boy and stay still, and I’ll be super duper fast.”
Closing my eyes, I tried my hardest not to wiggle and squirm as Daddy ran the cold wipe over my face and chin. “There you go, little bit, all clean.”
I crawled up to the couch next to Daddy and pointed at Ellery. “Can we pwease ask dem now. I waited.” Daddy chuckled and pulled me into his lap. When we were in the car, Daddy asked me to please wait to ask Ellery about a playdate till after we all ate. It wasn’t easy because I was so excited, but I did it. I was a good boy.
“You did very well waiting, little one.” Daddy placed a kiss on the crown of my head and then turned his attention to Ellery. “Ellery, I know it’s barely been two weeks since we met, but I love Tristan with my whole heart and feel absolutely blessed to get to be his Daddy and take care of him.”
Ellery’s face softened, and their shoulders relaxed. “I can see how happy you make him, and he obviously feels safe with you. I’ve never seen him this regressed. Keep doing what you’re doing, and we won’t have any problems.”
Daddy barked out a surprised laugh. “I expected nothing less. I promise I’ll always do my best to take care of him and make him the happiest boy on the planet.” Daddy kissed the top of my head again. The loving gesture and the sweet words made me nearly swoon. “I wub yous Dada.”
“And I love you, my sweet boy. Do you want to ask Ellery, or do you want me to do it?” Being all snug and warm in Daddy’s arms was making me feel smaller and my words harder to find, so I pointed my finger back at Daddy so he could do the big talking.
“Okay, sweetheart. Thank you, relax, and I’ll handle all thedetails.” Daddy grabbed my chin, and I shifted in his lap so I could face him. With his hand still gripping my chin, he pressed a chaste kiss to my lips and then returned his attention to Ellery.
“Ellery, as I’ve gotten to know Tristan more, he’s told me a good bit about your relationship and how much you mean to him. I know that, with preparing for the fair and then meeting me, you guys haven’t had much time to hang out, especially while regressed. Tristan really misses you and wanted to invite you over to my house next weekend so you both can have some little time where you both can be cared for and sink as deep as you’d like.”
Ellery’s eyes widened and turned glassy with unshed tears. “I missed you, too, bestie,” they wiped their eyes and then looked back at Daddy. “Are you sure? I can always hang out with little Tristan while I’m big, would it not be weird?”
Daddy sat up straighter and put his arms around me. “Tristan and I had a detailed conversation about what is allowed and what isn’t, and I will be having the same conversation with you before anything takes place. But yes, it is more than okay with me. I love being a caregiver, and you are my boy’s best friend. I want to get to know you better. That means all of you, even your little side, and only if you want to share that with me, if not, you are more than welcome to come as your big self.”
Ellery’s tears streamed down their face, and their voice was a mix of relief and joy. “Thank you. I’m not going to lie, I was really worried that you coming into Tristan’s life was going to change our relationship. Tristan is my family. Our friendship means everything to me. Thank you for loving him and making spacefor me. I would love to come over and, of course, get to know you as well.”
I couldn’t handle it anymore. My best friend was crying, even if they were happy tears, I wanted to comfort them. Daddy removed his arms from my waist, and I launched forward onto Ellery, knocking us both onto the floor. “Ewwie Ewwie, no cry. Yous comin ober n yous can see my pwaywoom. So many Dwagons.”
Ellery pulled me against them and gave me a big hug. “I can’t wait to see it, buddy.”
19
Daniel
The smell of sweat and sawdust filled the air of my workshop as I continued working on my new project. I was building a floor crib similar to the one I built for Tristan’s playroom for another Daddy that I met through David.
It had only been a few days since I’d spent the evening with Tristan and Ellery at their apartment, and I was itching to see my boy.
We spent every night apart, talking on the phone or video chatting. The first night, we talked for hours about various things in our relationship. After we both confessed our love for one another, we both decided we wanted to get tested and ditch condoms. Tristan was it for me, and I couldn’t wait to take that next step with him.
Thankfully, our clinics had openings, and we were both able to get an appointment fairly quickly. Tristan had texted me the day before, saying he had already gotten his results and he was all clear, and I had received the same results just that morning.
Both of us had a lot of projects to complete for various orders, but no matter what, we made sure we had at least an hour together to talk about what we were working on and get to know one another better. At the end of every day, I’d call my boy and help him through his bedtime routine. When it was time for him to get in bed, he’d set his phone up on his nightstand so we could see one another as I read him a bedtime story. Those video calls were the highlight of my day, and the most challenging part was hanging up and not being able to see his adorable face as he slept.
I just finished staining the floor crib, and it needed to dry overnight before I could add the sealant. I checked my watch and noticed it was almost lunchtime, so I decided to head back into the house to fix something to eat.
After getting everything cleaned up, including myself, I rummaged through the fridge, pulled out some leftovers from the night before, and popped them in the microwave. I loved cooking fresh meals and didn’t really like leftovers, but when you lived alone, there were always leftovers. I sighed longingly. I couldn’t wait for Tristan to move in with me. It may have beentoo soon to want him to live with me, but I loved that man with all my heart and couldn’t wait for the day we shared our home.
The microwave beeping pulled me out of my thoughts, and I rubbed my hand over my face and pushed those thoughts aside. As I ate, I stared into the living room and my mind played visions of Tristan lying on the rug, coloring in his book as he kicked his feet and hummed to whatever song was playing in his cartoons. With a dramatic sigh, I set my fork down and picked up my phone. “I am so gone for him.”
Dialing Tristan’s number, I waited not so patiently until I heard his precious voice come through the speaker. “Hi, Daddy! I missed you!”
