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I thought about it, tapping my crayon against my chin. "Can we watch more movies? With popcorn?"
"I think that can be arranged," Daddy said with a smile. "How about you pick out another coloring page while I make the popcorn?"
I nodded eagerly and returned to my blanket, carefully selecting another dinosaur to color. This time I chose a stegosaurus, deciding to make him purple because that was a royal color and stegosauruses were very important dinosaurs.
The smell of popcorn soon filled the cabin, making my tummy rumble despite the pancakes we'd had earlier. When Daddyreturned with a big bowl of buttery popcorn, I clapped my hands in delight.
"Movie time," I said, scrambling onto the couch with Patches and Bear.
Daddy settled beside me, placing the bowl of popcorn between us. I immediately snuggled closer to his side, making sure Patches and Bear had good views of the TV too.
"What would you like to watch, little one?" Daddy asked, navigating through streaming options.
"Dinosaurs," I replied without hesitation. "Or maybe... superheroes?"
"How about both?" Daddy suggested. "We could start with that dinosaur movie where they make a park, but only the parts that aren't too scary. Then maybe something with superheroes after?"
"Yes," I said, shoving a handful of popcorn into my mouth. "That's perfect."
Daddy found the movie and started it, but made sure to skip the scary parts where people got eaten. I appreciated that—I didn't want nightmares. Instead, I focused on the amazing dinosaurs, gasping in wonder each time a new one appeared on screen.
"That one." I pointed excitedly. "That's a brachiosaurus. They have really long necks so they can eat leaves from the tallest trees."
"Is that so?" Daddy asked, seeming genuinely interested in my dinosaur knowledge.
"Uh-huh. And they're gentle giants. They don't eat people or other dinosaurs. Just plants."
"Like you," Daddy observed with a smile. "You're gentle too."
I beamed at the comparison, snuggling closer to his side. His arm wrapped around me, making me feel safe and protected.Halfway through the movie, I started to feel sleepy, my eyelids growing heavy despite my best efforts to stay awake.
"Tired, little one?" Daddy asked softly, noticing my struggle.
"No," I protested weakly, even as I yawned widely. "Wanna see the dinosaurs."
"They'll be here when you wake up," he promised. "How about a little nap?"
I wanted to argue, but my body betrayed me with another yawn. "Will you stay with me?"
"Of course," Daddy assured me, shifting so I could lay my head in his lap. "I'll be right here."
I settled down, Patches and Bear tucked securely against my chest, my dinosaur blanket draped over me. Daddy's large hand stroked my hair in a soothing rhythm, and I felt myself drifting off, safe and content.
When I woke up, the living room was bathed in afternoon sunlight. I was still on the couch, but now fully stretched out with my head on a pillow. Daddy wasn't beside me anymore, but I could hear his deep voice coming from the kitchen.
For a moment, I felt a flicker of my adult self trying to surface—a voice in the back of my mind that whispered about danger and responsibilities and the strangeness of this situation. But I pushed it away. Being Little was so much better.
Here, I was safe. Here, I didn't have to worry about bad men with guns or Harold trying to hurt me. Here, I had Daddy to protect me and new stuffies and dinosaur blankets.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes and looking around for Patches and Bear. They had fallen to the floor during my nap, and I quickly scooped them up, checking to make sure they were okay.
"Did you have a good nap?" Daddy's voice came from the doorway. He was holding a glass of juice and a small plate with apple slices arranged in a fan shape.
"Uh-huh," I nodded, making room for him on the couch. "Patches and Bear fell, but they're okay."
"I'm glad to hear it," Daddy said, sitting beside me and offering the snack. "I thought you might be thirsty when you woke up."
"Thank you," I said, taking a sip of the juice. It was apple, my favorite, and not too cold. Perfect. I munched on an apple slice, suddenly realizing how hungry I was. "Did you nap too?"