She nodded, turning to thank all the girls, laughing and chatting until the judge entered the court. Connor kept his hand lightly on her back to remind her that, no matter what came next, he was right there.
Raleigh leaned over and grabbed Bliss’s hand. “I know yesterday was hard, but I promise, today is going to be very different.”
Connor hoped he was right. His Little girl had a lot to lose if this went south. He stopped worrying when Raleigh called his first witness.
“We’d like to call Mrs. Diana Bartram to the stand.”
Once sworn in, Mrs. Bartram explained, “Your Honor, I’m afraid this case has been a waste of the court’s time. You see, Rochelle Talon has been placed on administrative leave pending a review of all her cases. We’ve discovered she did not follow the guidelines and procedures required by the Department of Child Safety in regard to screening allegations, categorizing alleged violations, and submitting her conclusions for review when it was first appealed. To be frank, this case should never have made it this far. After an unbiased review, none of the accusations against Miss Belissa Carpenter were substantiated.”
Connor felt his chest loosen for the first time in a month. Justice wasn’t always fast, but when it came, it hit like a wave, cleansing and pure.
It took the judge and several threats from Daddies in the courtroom to restore order. Connor allowed himself a small, satisfied smirk. Sometimes, a little intimidation was exactly what the moment called for.
Next, Raleigh called Sandra back to the stand, where she confessed to doctoring the pictures she’d sent in and basically making the entire story up. She claimed she only meant to get Bliss fired, but then everything had snowballed.
Connor knew better. Sandra thought that with Bliss out of the way, he’d turn back to her. That would never have happened. When he’d said goodbye to that woman, he’d meant it.
The judge ruled in Bliss's favor and told her she no longer needed to worry about the Department of Child Safety. Connor’s hands itched to sweep her into an embrace and never let go.
Bliss hugged Raleigh, which Connor grudgingly did not eviscerate his friend for. He watched his girl closely. Bliss could hide things when she wasn’t in Little space. She seemed to be fine, but he wanted to be sure.
Every faint twitch of her lips, every flicker of her eyes, he cataloged, making sure the joy he saw wasn’t hiding any lingering fear. She had endured so much, and he refused to let any shadow touch her today.
He pulled her aside for a private chat. “Babygirl, are you all right? Are the yucky feelings gone?”
She quieted, thinking it over before giving him an answer. “I’m not quite okay yet. I need to ask you something first.”
He braced. Her tone told him she was about to ask something serious. He leaned in slightly, all attention, all presence, ready.
Had she overheard his conversation with Bones the night before? He’d thought she was asleep, but he hadn’t checked. She’d be within her rights to ask him to leave. The only one who knew of their ‘engagement’ was Rochelle Talon, and she was going to be too busy trying to stay out of jail to worry about Bliss.
Whatever she was about to ask, it mattered to her, and that meant it mattered to him. Knowing his girl, it could be anything, he said, “You know I’ll do whatever you need, Trouble. What is it?”
“It’s very, very important, Daddy.”
“Okay, Trouble. Just ask.”
“Okay, hold on.” She reached behind her back and pulled out the pale pink box. “Can you put my crown back on me, please?”
Connor’s lips twitched into a playful grin, though his heart nearly melted at her request. After all she’d been through, she was still his Little girl. All the Musketiaras, who he hadn’t noticed were gathered around, burst out laughing.
He pretended to be angry. “I’m going to tell all your Daddies to roast your rear ends.” Then he focused on Bliss. “But you, I can take care of myself.”
And with that, he lunged for her, catching her in a hug that was equal parts protection, love, and happiness. Her squeals filled the room, mingling with the laughter of Littles running in every direction. Connor’s arms tightened around her, steadying her as she wiggled and giggled, her joy uncontained.
Yeah, his babygirl was going to be fine.
More than fine, actually. She was radiant, triumphant, and utterly his. And for the first time in a long while, Connor allowed himself to believe that all the pieces of their messy, beautiful life were finally falling exactly where they were meant to.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Bliss lay on her side, staring at Connor, trying her best not to wiggle. Her Daddy had told her if she woke him one more time to see if it was time to get up and see what Santa had brought her, Santa would make all her presents disappear.
Her stomach twisted with equal parts excitement and fear. She’d barely managed to keep herself still last night, and now that anticipation pulsed like electricity under her skin. Every fiber of her body wanted to move, to leap out of bed and see the magic waiting for her.
She’d gasped at the time and pretended to go back to sleep. Now that she’d had time to think, she wasn’t sure her Daddy was right. It didn’t sound like something Santa would do. Still, since Santa had never visited her before, she wasn’t ready to risk it. Her Mary Poppins shoulder angel was whispering about a proper night’s sleep, while her Miranda angel kept talking about something bad about to happen.
Her shoulder angels argued back and forth, each tugging her in opposite directions, and Bliss pressed her hands to her face. Maybe just five more minutes of stillness wouldn’t hurt anyone. Maybe.
