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As she walked away, Annabel leaned closer to me. "Daisy's the best," she whispered. "She always makes the meanies go away."
"She's pretty awesome," I agreed, picking up my teacup again, though my hands still trembled slightly.
"Are you really okay?" Annabel asked, her expression serious beyond her Little persona. "Sophie can be super nasty."
I hesitated, then admitted, "It's hard. I'm still getting used to...all this." I gestured vaguely to encompass the tea party, my dinosaur shirt, the whole Little dynamic.
Annabel nodded sagely. "It was hard for me too, at first. I used to only be Little at home with Bolt. But then I realized something."
"What's that?"
"The people who matter don't mind, and the people who mind don't matter." She smiled, adjusting Princess's tutu. "That's what Daddy always says."
I considered her words, finding unexpected wisdom in them. "Your Daddy sounds pretty smart."
"He is," she agreed proudly. "Almost as smart as Princess." She giggled, then held out the teapot. "More tea?"
I smiled, feeling some of the tension leave my body. "Yes, please."
We continued our tea party, and gradually I relaxed again, letting myself enjoy the simple pleasure of make-believe with someone who understood. Across the yard, I occasionally caught glimpses of Daddy at the grill with Bolt, his eyes finding mine every so often, checking in silently. Each time our gazes met, he'd give me a small smile or a wink, and something in my chest would settle a little more.
About twenty minutes later, I felt a large presence behind me and looked up to find Daddy standing there, a plate in each hand.
"I heard there was a fancy tea party happening," he said, his deep voice gentle. "Thought the guests might be hungry."
"Daddy," I exclaimed, then immediately blushed at how easily the word had slipped out in public. But Daddy just smiled, his eyes warming at my greeting. He lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the edge of the blanket, carefully setting down plates loaded with burgers, corn on the cob, and potato salad.
"These look yummy," Annabel said, setting Princess aside to make room. "Thank you, Daddy Bear."
"You're welcome, sweetheart," Daddy replied, then turned to me. "Everything okay over here, little one?"
I hesitated, not wanting to cause trouble, but something in his steady gaze made lying impossible. "Sophie and some prospect were being mean," I admitted quietly. "But Daisy made them go away."
Daddy's expression darkened briefly, his jaw tightening. "What did they say?"
"Just...stuff about me being childish," I mumbled, looking down at my plate. "And something about me being a charity case."
A low growl rumbled in Daddy's chest. "Which prospect?"
"The new one," Annabel supplied helpfully. "The skinny one with the bad haircut."
"Rider," Daddy muttered, his eyes scanning the yard. "I'll handle it."
"Please don't make a scene," I whispered, grabbing his arm. "It's not worth it."
Daddy covered my hand with his, his touch gentle despite the anger I could feel radiating from him. "No one talks to you like that, baby boy. Not in my club."
"Daddy says the same thing," Annabel nodded sagely. "That's why nobody's mean to me anymore."
"Smart man, Bolt," Daddy said, his expression softening as he looked between us. "Now eat up before it gets cold. Bolt's been standing over that grill for hours."
I took a bite of my burger, surprised by how hungry I was. As we ate, Bolt joined us on the blanket, his massive frame looking comically large next to Annabel's dainty tea set. He greeted me warmly, complimenting my dinosaur shirt and asking if I was enjoying the barbecue.
"It's nice," I said honestly. "Different from what I expected."
"In a good way, I hope," Bolt replied with a wink.
I nodded, feeling unexpectedly comfortable in this strange mix of biker culture and Little space. Annabel chattered happily about the tea party while Bolt listened with complete attention, treating her stuffie-related concerns with the same seriousness he might give club business.