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"I brought extra stuff today," she explained, arranging Princess and Patches side by side. "In case you wanted to color or have tea."
"Thanks," I said softly, touched by her thoughtfulness. I reached for a coloring book, flipping through until I found a page with dinosaurs. The simple act of choosing colors and staying inside the lines felt soothing, grounding.
As I colored, I gradually became aware of the activity around us. Club members moved about, setting up food, talking in groups, occasionally glancing our way with small smiles. But no one stared. No one pointed or whispered behind their hands. They just...accepted.
"Everyone got dinosaur shirts," I said, still amazed by the sight. "All of them."
Annabel nodded, carefully coloring a unicorn's mane in rainbow hues. "Daddy said it was to show sol..."
"Solidarity?" I offered.
"Yeah, that. So you'd know you're not alone." She looked up at me with earnest eyes. "And that nobody thinks it's weird. Because it's not."
A lump formed in my throat. I hadn't expected this level of acceptance, this deliberate show of support. These tough, intimidating bikers had put on cartoon shirts just to make me feel comfortable.
"That's really nice of them," I managed, blinking back sudden tears.
"The club is family," Annabel said with complete conviction. "And family takes care of each other."
We colored in companionable silence for a while, the peaceful activity helping to ease my lingering anxiety. Occasionally someone would walk by and compliment our artwork, or askhow we were doing, but no one hovered or made me feel self-conscious.
Bolt appeared with plates of food for both of us, settling them carefully on the edge of the blanket. "How are you doing, Matty?" he asked, his voice gentle.
"Better," I admitted. "Thank you for the shirts. All of them."
Bolt grinned, smoothing a hand over his own shirt, which featured a T-Rex trying to play guitar. "Jono's idea, actually. We may have cleaned out three different stores."
"Where's Daddy?" I asked, suddenly realizing I hadn't seen him in a while.
"Talking to Doc by the grill," Bolt said, gesturing behind him. "Want me to get him?"
"No, that's okay," I said, surprising myself. "I'm okay here with Annabel."
Bolt's smile widened. "Good to hear. Eat up before it gets cold."
After he left, I took a bite of the burger he'd brought, realizing suddenly how hungry I was. As Annabel chattered about Princess's adventures over the past few days, I found myself relaxing more, the constant knot of tension in my chest loosening incrementally.
From my spot under the tree, I could see Daddy talking with the doc, his expression serious but calm. He glanced over, catching my eye, and his whole face softened. He gave me a small wave and a questioning thumbs-up. I nodded, managing a genuine smile in return.
"Your Daddy really loves you," Annabel observed, following my gaze.
"Yeah," I agreed, warmth spreading through me. "He really does."
"Daddy says Bear was super scary when you were missing," she continued, arranging Princess's tiny teacup. "Like, evenscarier than when Cruise crashed the pickup into Bear's favorite bike."
I wasn't sure how to respond to that but was saved by Daisy approaching with a tray of cupcakes, each topped with colorful frosting and tiny plastic dinosaurs.
"Special delivery for my favorite artists," she announced, setting the tray down on our blanket. "The dinosaurs are clean—you can keep them after."
"Thank you, Miss Daisy," Annabel said, immediately reaching for one topped with pink frosting.
I selected one with green frosting, carefully removing the little stegosaurus perched on top. "These are amazing," I said after taking a bite. "Did you make them?"
"Maria and I stayed up half the night," Daisy confirmed with a wink. "Worth every minute to see you out here with us." She reached out, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze before moving on to distribute the rest of the cupcakes.
As the afternoon progressed, I found myself gradually relaxing and my Little coming out more and more. When Annabel invited me to join her tea party, I did so without hesitation, making Patches speak in a gruff voice that had her giggling uncontrollably.
Annabel suddenly yawned, which set me off, and we both giggled, especially when two Daddies swooped down and lifted us both up. “Ready for home, little one?”