His eyes darken. "Keep calling me that and I'm going to have a very hard time concentrating during my workout."
"Good."
He groans. "You're trouble."
"You love it."
"I really do."
The shop is steady all morning, and true to his word, Tyler texts me throughout the day.
Tyler: How's it going?
Chloe: Busy but good. Had a customer order six lattes for her office.
Tyler: Did you charge full price?
Chloe: Yes, Daddy. No discount.
Tyler: Good girl. Proud of you.
The praise makes me glow.
At lunch, he sends another text.
Tyler: What did you eat?
Chloe: Turkey sandwich and an apple.
Tyler: Perfect. You're doing so well, sweetheart.
Around three, my phone rings. Tyler's name on the screen.
"Hey," I answer. "Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine. I just wanted to hear your voice." There's noise in the background, voices, equipment. "I'm on a break. Thought I'd check in."
"I miss you."
"I miss you too. What time do you close today?" The time is generally the same, but he knows if we aren’t busy, I’ll sometimes close early and other times people will reserve the coffee shop for meetings or book clubs. I charge a small fee for use and require them to order so much from the coffee bar.
"Six." I put him on a brief hold while I agreed to give a regular a significant discount on her purchase. She told me about her recent string of bad luck, and I felt bad for her. This poor woman is constantly having bad luck and I’m constantly discounting her afternoon coffee. But, the smile she gives me is worth it.
"Want me to bring dinner? We could eat at your place, watch another movie."
"I'd love that. But Tyler?"
"Yeah?"
"You don't have to take care of me every night. I know you have your own life. Your own stuff to do. And you don’t always have to bring me dinner. That can get expensive."
"Taking care of you is what I want to do as your Daddy. But if you need space, tell me. I don't want to overwhelm you."
"You're not. I just don't want to be a burden."
"Chloe." His voice goes firm. "You are not a burden. Taking care of you brings me joy. It’s the part of our dynamic that I get the most out of. Don't diminish that by assuming you're too much."
"Yes, Daddy."
