Rob lifted his glass. “To Gilly and the new business. What are you going to call it?”
“Paint Zone.”
Uncle Clay put his arm around my shoulder. “I like it, short and sweet.”
“Thanks.”Zonehad a lot of different meanings for me. In Fortnite it could mean a particular group play strategy where the team builds up one member, or it could mean getting into the flow of things, like my Zen-mode when I painted. I thought both of those were great, but it could also mean an area, as in an area of the house to paint. There were other things it could mean, but I focused on those few, feeling confident in the name even if nobody else understood it.
Candance set her glass down and walked over to me. “I know people who can do logos for you, and I’ll get you the family-and-friends discount. That name could be really cool-looking.”
“Thanks. I have some ideas about that, but I’m not a graphic designer or anything.”
She gave me a card. “Make sure you tell them I sent you.”
The rest of the evening went well, but I felt tense, not used to being the center of attention. I hadn’t experienced this since my birthday party before I met Nate, and that was months ago. There weren’t as many people here as then, but I still felt better once everyone started leaving and I could relax.
Daddy Nate wrapped me up in his arms. “Now that all of the chaos is over, how about tubby time?”
“I think that’s exactly what I need. Thanks, Daddy.” He read me like a book, always knowing what I needed and when I needed it. We sure had gotten to know each other better, and now I was moving in with him. What a whirlwind my life had been this year.
Six Months Later
It was still super weird knocking on the apartment door where I used to live, but I had to be respectful of Rob’s boundaries, plus I’d already given back my key. He quickly opened the door and paused, looking me up and down. “Gilly? What are you wearing?” He gripped the hem of my T-shirt that readDaddy’s Boyacross the front.
“You know you want one too.” I winked at him.
“Yes,” he gasped and hugged me. “I totally want one. You sure have come out of your shell.” He dragged me inside the apartment and into the living room.
“Is that bad?”
“No, and you seem so happy. I love that for you, and I mean it.” He didn’t seem all that happy though, frowning like that.
“Why do you look sad then?”
“Daddy problems.” He waved his hand and plopped down on the couch. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s play.”
We settled down to the game, playing Fortnite inSave the Worldmode so we could work together on our campaign for a while. We played online together all the time since Daddy made me a gaming spot in my playroom, but I liked visiting sometimes too. It was a fun way to get to see my friend. We didn’t live together terribly long, but I missed him and needed thein-personinteraction. After a few hours, my tummy rumbled, then again a second time, only louder.
Rob laughed. “Hungry much?”
“Yeah, always.” It seemed like the more I ate, the hungrier I was.
“Let’s make snacks.” We paused the game and went into the kitchen where Rob opened the fridge. “I have sandwich meat and cheese; we can make our own Lunchables. How’s that?”
“Sounds great.” I pulled out a cutting board, since I knew where they were, and Rob loaded the goods on the counter before grabbing crackers.
“I have the circles or regular saltines.”
“Both?”
“Sure.” He put the boxes on the counter and pulled out a few plates while I cut up meat and cheese into bite-sized pieces. “You know, Gilly, you look great, and you’ve put on weight too, but in a good way, like you look healthier.”
I glanced down at my body. Still skinny, but he wasn’t wrong. “Honestly, I think it’s Daddy’s milk.”
“What? Really?” His eyes widened.
“Why are you surprised? Don’t you nurse from Daddy Preston?” Hell, Daddy Nate and Preston knew each other from the Lactin Brotherhood, so I assumed Preston was the same.
“And here comes the problem. Daddy doesn’t seem to like it. Or he’s uncomfortable or something. I think he resents me for wanting to do it. I don’t know. I hardly ever see him anymore, and I don’t think he’s going to the meetings either.”
