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"The most important thing," Bolt continued, "is that you don't make him feel ashamed. Don't tease or belittle. Validate that this is a normal coping mechanism and that you accept all versions of him."
I nodded, understanding the gravity of the responsibility I'd taken on. "I never expected any of this when I married him," I admitted.
Bolt studied me for a moment.
"No one ever does," he said with a knowing smile. "It's a journey. When I discovered her Little side, everything changed."
"For the better?" I asked, genuinely curious.
Bolt's expression softened as he glanced toward the window where we could see Annabel showing Matty how Princess could do a special dance. "Absolutely. It's opened up parts of myself I didn't know existed—patience, tenderness, a kind of love that's both protective and nurturing." He paused. "I love all sides of her, and I have no idea how I got to be so fucking lucky."
I followed his gaze, watching as Matty laughed at something Annabel said, his face lighting up with genuine joy. Something twisted in my chest—a feeling I couldn't quite name.
"What if..." I began, then stopped, unsure how to voice my concern.
"What if he doesn't want this when he comes back to himself?" Bolt finished for me.
I nodded, the question that had been gnawing at me finally in the open.
"That's a risk," Bolt admitted. "But in my experience, the Little side is always there, even if it's deeply buried. If Matty has truly slipped into this headspace naturally, it's because it's part of who he is."
"And if it's just a trauma response?"
"Then you support him however he needs when he comes back," Bolt said simply. "Either way, what he needs right now is consistency and safety. The rest will sort itself out."
I ran a hand over my beard, processing everything Bolt had shared. The responsibility felt enormous, but strangely, not unwelcome.
"I'd like to invite you both to our Little group," Bolt said after a moment. "It meets twice a month. Annabel and three other Littles get together to play while the caregivers chat. It might help both of you to connect with others who understand."
"I'll think about it," I replied, not committing but not dismissing the idea either. Even the thought of Matty being anywhere outside of the compound made me nervous at the moment. I doubted if Coombes was going to give up anytime soon.
Bolt nodded, respecting my hesitation. "For what it's worth," he added, "I’m pretty sure you have good instincts."
Before I could respond, the sliding door opened and Daisy stepped out onto the deck.
"You boys about done with your chat?" she asked with a knowing smile. "Annabel and Matty want to show you their masterpieces."
We followed her inside to find Matty and Annabel sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by completed coloring pages. They looked up with identical expressions of pride.
"Daddy, look," Matty called, holding up a vibrantly colored stegosaurus. "I made him purple because that's a royal color and he's very important."
"It's beautiful, little one," I said, genuinely impressed by how neatly he'd stayed within the lines. "And you chose the perfect color."
Matty beamed, his entire face lighting up with my praise. "Annabel helped me with the spikes. She knows a special trick to make them look extra pointy."
Annabel nodded solemnly, holding up her own creation—a T-Rex in brilliant shades of green and blue. "Princess wanted it to be sparkly," she explained, pointing to the glitter pens Daisy must have brought with them.
Bolt crossed the room and knelt beside Annabel, examining her artwork with exaggerated seriousness. "This might be your best dinosaur yet, Pumpkin," he declared, ruffling her pigtails affectionately.
I found myself mirroring his actions, crouching beside Matty and looking through his other completed page. "You've been busy, little one."
"We're making a dinosaur book," Matty informed me, carefully gathering his pages. "Annabel says we can staple them together and make a cover and everything."
"That sounds like a great project," I agreed, feeling a strange warmth spread through my chest at his enthusiasm.
"Can Annabel come play again?" Matty asked, looking between me and Bolt with hopeful eyes. "She's really good at colors and her Princess is very nice to Patches and Bear."
"Of course she can," I said, meeting Bolt's gaze over their heads. "As long as it's okay with Bolt."