"That's so romantic!" Sean clasped his hands together. "Oh my gosh, Tanner, your Secret Santa is pulling out all the stops."
"They really are." I ran my hand over the elephant's soft fur. "Every gift has been perfect. Like they can read my mind."
"Or they just pay really good attention," Sean said, echoing what he'd told me before.
Harlan appeared with a plate of food and set it in front of me. "Eat. You ran out of here this morning without breakfast."
"I had coffee," I protested weakly.
"Coffee isn't food." He gave me a look that said he wouldn't take no for an answer. "Eat."
I ate, one hand on my fork and the other resting on the elephant beside me. It was comforting having it close, even though I hadn't heated it up yet. Just knowing it was there, that someone had chosen it specifically for me, made me feel cared for.
After lunch, I took the elephant up to my room and studied the instructions on the tag. You could remove the inner heating pouch and microwave it, then put it back in. The lavender scent would intensify with heat, providing aromatherapy along with warmth.
I decided to save that for tonight. For now, I just wanted to hold it.
I settled into my reading chair with the elephant in my lap and one of my coloring books. This had become my safe space—this chair, with my star blanket and my art supplies and now my new elephant friend.
As I colored, I thought about everything that had happened since I arrived at the ranch. How broken I'd felt that first night.How lost and burned out and desperate for something I couldn't name.
And now? Now I had Simon. I had friends. I had gifts from a Secret Santa who saw me clearly. I had permission to be small, to be cared for, to want things without justifying why I deserved them.
I had everything I'd been missing.
Well,almost everything.
I still wished my Secret Santa could be Simon. Wished that the person who was giving me all these thoughtful gifts and the person who held me at night could be one and the same.
But maybe that was asking too much. Maybe having Simon as my Daddy and having a generous Secret Santa as a friend was enough. More than enough, actually.
I was lucky. So incredibly lucky.
As I finished coloring a particularly intricate flower design, I heard footsteps on the stairs. Heavy, familiar footsteps that made my heart skip.
Simon appeared in the doorway, still in his work clothes and looking tired but happy. His eyes found me immediately, then dropped to the elephant in my lap.
"I see you have something new," he said, coming into the room.
"I do!" I held up the elephant. "There was a whole scavenger hunt with Polaroid photos. It was so fun, Daddy. And look how soft he is!"
Simon came over and ran his hand over the elephant's fur. "Very soft. And he's a heating pad?"
"Yeah, you microwave the inner pouch, and it provides warmth. And it's lavender scented for aromatherapy." I hugged the elephant close. "It's perfect."
"It is," Simon agreed, and something in his voice made me look up at him.
He was watching me with such tenderness, such affection, that it made my breath catch.
"What?" I asked softly.
"Nothing. Just—" He sat on the arm of the chair. "I love seeing you happy. Seeing you let yourself have things that bring you joy."
"You make me happy," I said. "The gifts are amazing, but you—you mean more, Daddy. You know that, right?"
His expression softened even more, if that was possible. "Yeah, bud. I know."
He leaned down and kissed me, soft and sweet, and I melted into it like I always did.
