Page 3

Bash

My heart was in my throat as I waited on Elliot to diagnose Allyson. I had already considered Malaria, Ebola, and maybe the Bubonic Plague. Whatever it was, I wanted the best care for my Little girl. And after seeing her sick and vulnerable I had no doubt Allyson was my Little girl. She was shy and unsure, but I would love her until she was confident of my feelings and I would be patient and wait as long as she needed. I regretted not moving sooner, but there was nothing I could do but move forward.

“Just a little swab of your nose, okay? It won’t hurt,” Elliot said, bringing me back from my thoughts. He was rubbing a Q-Tip around the inside of each nostril. He’d better not fucking hurt her.

“I’m going to test this and in fifteen minutes we will know if you have the flu germies, which I'm very confident you do.” Elliot put the swab in a tube, shook it, and then put some on a dropper.

“I was around everyone at work yesterday,” she said, her face turning a shade paler. “What if I got them all sick?”

“Most of us have had our flu shots, baby. If we do get it, it won’t be a bad case and we would certainly never blame you, Allyson,” I told her. I appreciated her concern for us, but hated how anxious she was.

“I’m so sorry,” she cried, more tears falling down her angelic face.

“Hey, nobody is going to be upset,” I soothed, climbing up the bed and sitting beside her.“They’re going to be worried about you, baby. They’ll want you to feel all better.”

“I’ve had a lot of cases recently, honey, and it’s very possible you caught it from a client at the shop. Don’t worry about it, okay? Let’s focus on getting you better,” Elliot added.

Allyson nodded, but didn’t look any less worried. I took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She returned the gesture and sent me a shaky smile.

“Wait, you need to scoot over, you’re gonna get sick!” she said after a second, attempting to tug her hand out of mine.

I kept it captured and brought it up to my mouth for a kiss. “Daddies are immune to germies, especially this one,” I said, patting my chest.

She laughed softly.

“It’s true. In all of the years I’ve known him, Bash has never been sick,” Elliot agreed.

“Never?” Allyson asked dubiously, looking at me again.

“Not even once.”

“Positive for flu, sweet girl. Covid is negative,” Elliot said, after studying the rapid test.

“What is our course of treatment?” I asked, relieved it wasn’t something worse.

“I’ll send some prescriptions for medication to help with symptoms and a cough medicine just in case she needs it over to the pharmacy. Lots of rest and fluids. Fever reducers every four hours for the next several days. Even if she isn’t running a fever, it will help with her body aches.”

Reaching out, I stroked a hand over Allyson’s curls. “Does your body hurt, babygirl?”

“Just a tiny bit,” she answered. I could tell a tiny bit meant a lot.

“You can have some more medicine in half an hour,” I told her. I was keeping a close eye on the time.

“Yes, Sir.”

Her honorifics brought a smile to my face and my heart swelled with pride. I couldn’t wait for her to answer “yes, Daddy” but Sir was good too.

“Do you want a sucker for being a good girl?” Elliot asked.

Her eyes lit up, but she shook her head no. “That’s okay. Thank you. I really appreciate you coming out. I don’t have any cash, but I have my debit card or I can use Venmo.”

“You are not paying me, Little girl,” Elliot said. “I am here as a friend.”

“Oh, look. He has pink suckers. Pink is your favorite color,” I said, reaching and taking one out of Elliot’s hand. She wanted the candy, we both could tell she did, but her fear kept her from accepting it. She was so willing to give, but it seemed she really struggled with taking. It was okay, we’d work on it. I tucked it into my bedside table for her. “Maybe you can have it when you’re not so nauseous, yeah?”

She smiled and nodded. “Thank you for helping me, Mr. Elliot.”

He placed his hand over his heart. “You are precious, Little girl. I’m glad we found you.”

“I’m glad to have been found,” she said before coughing. “Uh-oh.”

Elliot nodded. “I’m not surprised, Little one. I’m sure it will become much deeper over the next few days. Be a good girl and rest, okay?”

“Yes,Sir.” She nodded.

I tucked her back in before climbing off the bed and showing Elliot out. “Do you need me to pick her medicine up for you?”

“I appreciate it, but Leland already offered.”

“Alright, call me if she gets worse.”

Taking out my wallet, I pulled out a wad of cash and tried to hand it to him.

He glared at me, but didn’t say anything.

I chuckled and shoved it back in my wallet. “Thank you.”

Elliot was such a good friend to us. He never took payment even though we always tried to pay him.

“Every time one of you try and pay me, I get indigestion,” he grumbled.

“Mr. Elliot! Mr. Elliot!” Allyson yelled, running to the top of the stairs.

“No running!”

“Be careful!” I shouted at the same time Elliot did.

“When can I go back to work? I already missed today and Mr. Leland is going to be so upset if I miss more days. Can I go back tomorrow if I wear a mask?”

Elliot shot me a look and I shook my head. Leland wouldn’t be upset with her.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. You’ll be out the rest of the week. You can return Monday, but I’ll email your doctor’s note to Leland, okay?”

“A-are you sure I can’t just go back tomorrow?”

My chest tightened in sympathy when I saw how distressed she was about missing more work.

“I’m sure, Allyson. You need to rest so you can feel all better,” he told her.

I could sense her anxiety and I finished showing Elliot out, so that I could go ease some of her worry. I hoped over time she would grow more confident in her friendships and begin to see how we all wanted what was best for her.

***

Allyson

Bash came back into the room just as I was snuggling back under the covers. I was cold again.

“Leland is going to bring your medicine by and check on you. He hates that you’re sick.”

My stomach dropped to my toes and cold panic rushed through me. “No!”

“No?” Bash asked.

“No. He’s already having to find someone to cover my shifts and now he’s having to stop and bring me medicine. He’s going to be so angry with me.”

“He wants to do those things because he’s your friend. He’s doing them because he cares about you, not because he feels he has to.”

I adored the way Bash explained things so gently. It was so unlike him. He was big and growly and usually threatened bodily harm at least twice a day. But despite his gentle tone and soft words, I knew he didn’t understand. He’d probably never cared about being a burden. I’m sure the thought of being alone didn’t terrify him.

“Allyson, honey, look at me,” he commanded. I didn’t like when he called me Allyson. I wanted him to call me ‘sweet baby’ all of the time. I liked all the endearments he used, but sweet baby was my favorite.

“Look at me, Little one,” he said, firmer this time.

I tipped my head up and my skin heated when twin tears rolled down my face. How embarrassing. All I’d done is cry.

“Oh, babygirl. Don’t cry.” He cradled my head in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe the tears away.

“I just got this job and I’m already missing work. He’s going to replace me.”

My heart flipped painfully in my chest at the thought of someone else having my job. I loved being around my new friends.

“He’s not, Allyson. Leland adores you, we all do. He’s more worried about you being sick. But even if Leland didn’t care for you, he still wouldn’t fire you for being out sick. He’s a good man, a fair man,” Bash explained.

I nodded and tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

“It’s going to be okay. I know you don’t believe me but I swear to you that you’re worried for nothing. The more we love on you, the more confident you will be in your relationships with us,” he promised.

His words shone like a lighthouse during a storm and I was the small boat trying to sail into the safety of them.

***

My heart was pounding in my chest and my stomach was flip-flopping so fast I thought I might actually puke. Leland had arrived a few seconds earlier and Bash had gone to let him in. I could hear their big boots clunking up the stairs and I was terrified Leland was going to scold me.

Swallowing the panic clawing at me, I tried to put on my brave face.

“Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?” he asked, walking into the room. He made himself comfortable and sat on the end of the bed criss-cross applesauce. How someone that tall got their legs to bend that way was beyond me, but for some reason it released some of the anxiety I was carrying. It was silly and had I not been so worried, I probably would have giggled.

“I’m really sorry I have to miss so much work.”

“Oh, honey, you can’t help being sick,” he answered.

“She’s worried you’re going to be mad at her,” Bash said from where he was setting up medications on the dresser.

I shot him my best murderous glare.

“Why on earth would I be upset because you’re sick?” Leland asked, his confusion evident.

My cheeks prickled with embarrassment and I found myself suddenly too nervous to speak. I shrugged my shoulders instead.

“She’s worried about you needing to find someone to cover her shift. I think she feels like she let us down.”

I was going to strangle Bash. I did feel like I was letting the shop down, but I didn’t need Bash telling him.

“I don’t know what kind of people you had in your life before us, kiddo, but I think they sucked. I would never be upset with you for missing work because you have the damn flu. I would, however, be very upset if you tried to work when you weren’t feeling well,” Leland said.

I nodded, but I wasn't sure I believed him even if I wanted to.

“You’re a very sweet friend and we love you. You bring so much sunshine into Daddies Ink and into our lives. In the short time we’ve known you, you’ve already made us so damn happy. You are so loving and you care about each one of us. You are thoughtful, gracious, and model what kind of people we should be every day, but more importantly we love you for who you are, not for what you do for us. Do you understand? We would still love you if you never worked another day at Daddies Ink.”

Tears pricked my eyes and I tried to blink them back before Leland saw them. He’d touched on one of my biggest insecurities. We love you for who you are, not for what you do. I did work so hard because I felt like maybe if my friends saw what I was worth they’d keep me… I felt like if I was helpful, they’d have a reason to want me around and I so badly wanted to be kept.

“Look at me, Allyson,” Leland said firmly.

I obeyed.

“Aww, honey. Is that what you’re worried about? That we won’t love you if you don’t work for the shop?”

I shook my head. “No.”

Bash sat on the bed beside me, clearly not liking my distress. Leland scooted a bit closer and put his hand on my foot.

“What is worrying you, Little one?” Leland asked.

“That if you all don’t need me, you won’t keep me.”

“Has that happened to you before, Allyson?”

“Yeah.”

“When, sweetheart?” Bash asked.

“When I turned eighteen. The state didn’t pay my foster parents for me anymore, so they didn’t need me and...” I shrugged, unable to finish the rest.

“And that was when you became homeless and started living in the shelter,” Bash finished for me.

I nodded. “I know that they didn’t have to keep me, like it was probably very expensive or something, but they just… didn’t. I thought maybe they’d let me finish high school first or something. But when I didn’t have anything to offer anymore, they didn’t love me anymore.”

Bash put his arm around me and squeezed gently. “Allyson, those people were wrong. Your caseworker failed you and your foster parents did too. They should have taken the time to make you understand you are more important than a check and I’m sorry they failed you like they did. Real families, even found ones like ours, love each other genuinely. And a genuine love means that it doesn’t matter what the members of that family bring or don’t bring into the relationships, it only matters that they belong there. You belong to us, Little girl, and you never have to worry about us getting rid of you. We love you now and for always, okay?” Bash spoke so gently that it made my heart ache.

“You’re ours now, Little one, and we’re never letting you go,” Leland added. “You were made for our small makeshift family.”