Page 12

TREVOR

My heart pounds. Daddy Andy is attractive. And I’ve already told him parts of me that are weird and he didn’t reject me yet. What if we get into the playroom and I do something strange that he doesn’t like? This might have been a bad idea.

I grab my backpack from the table and pull out Georgie.

I hold him and Bandit together as I contemplate which outfit to put on.

The onesie feels like I’ll be too exposed.

I don’t know why the heck I brought it in the first place, since I’ve only ever worn footie pajamas in the club.

I tug off my driving clothes and underwear and pull up a pair of training pants.

They have My Little Ponies all over them and my Little side already starts to show up by giggling.

I step into the footie pajamas and sigh in relief.

Zipping them up seals my fate. My thumb goes to my mouth and I grab my stuffies and backpack with my free arm.

When I open the door to the dressing room, Daddy Andy sucks in a breath.

“You look perfect, Trevor,” he says, and my cheeks go super hot. I hide behind Bandit.

Daddy takes my backpack. “Lets grab you a locker so nothing gets lost.”

I give him my hand to guide me. My tummy isn’t happy, he’s hungy, and it makes me gwrouchies.

We walk slowly to the front desk where Daddy gets a locker key and I follow him to the lockers, where he hangs my bag on a hook.

I hand over Georgie because two stuffies is so much to hold.

He pats Georgie on his yellow head before shutting him in.

I wave bye bye and hold Bandit close. Sowwies Georgie.

“Ready to go play?” Daddy asks.

“Hungy.”

“We’ll feed you, sweetheart. Don’t worry.”

I suck my thumb again as he leads me to the playroom. The mural on the walls always makes me happy. It’s a bright, sunshiny farm with silly animals.

I squeal and point at the cow. “Moo! Moo!” And squeal again.

Maddie isn’t here yet, but she probably isn’t far behind. The playroom is still fairly empty, except for Bel and his Daddy Yuri.

Bel spots me and rushes over. “Trevy!”

We hug and hop, babbling nonsense. Bel always smells like baby powder. It’s comforting. My stomach decides to make silly noises again, and Bel’s eyes go wide.

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get some food in you.”

“Hungy.” I clutch my tummy and exaggerate a frown for Bel, making him laugh.

“Go eats yummy nom noms,” Bel pats my tummy.

I nod and take Daddy’s hand again. “Hungy?”

He snorts a laugh as he leads me to the back area where there’s a kitchen set up with three adult sized highchairs. Food to choose from is set out like a buffet and I’m not sure what would help fill me up.

“Nanas!”

“Mmmm, bananas are so yummy, aren’t they?”

“Yum yum!” I make grabby hands at a highchair. Daddy’s eyes light up and my insides get all warm and happy.

“Uppies,” Daddy says as he lifts me and settles me into the highchair. He sets the tray down while humming a tune. “Now where can I find—ah, yes.” He grabs a bib and lays it on me. It has a lion on it. “Do you like cereal?”

“Loop loops! Chochy puff puffs!”

“Fruit Loops and CoCoa Puffs?”

I nod. “Yum yum!”

He grabs a scoop of each and scatters them on the tray in front of me. “Munch on those while I mash a banana for you.”

I can’t help the squeal and smash a few of the CoCoa Puffs making him laugh. I shove a few in my mouth and chew, watching him mash the banana.

“Do you like strawberries?”

“Yum yum, no with nanas.”

“Separate?”

I nod.

“Hmmm what else does sweet Trevor like?”

“Candy?” I bat my lashes at him and nod at the candy bars.

“What about some chocolate syrup on the banana?”

“Yum!”

“And mini chocolate chips?”

I nod and smack my hands on the tray, making the cereal jump.

“Sweetheart, don’t hit the tray, please.”

“Sowwies.” I duck my head and shove a few more CoCoa Puffs in my mouth.

Daddy turns, and he has a bowl of mashed nanas with mini chocolate chips and chocolate syrup. I make grabbie hands because it looks so tasty.

“Open wide,” Daddy Andy says and opens his own mouth.

I do as he says and lean forward, following the airplane spoon with my eyes. “Nom noms.”

“It’s gonna land.” Daddy shakes the shoulder with the purple teddy perched on it.

I hum when the spoon meets my mouth. “Mmmmm!” I wiggle and dance in my chair. “More! More!” The chocolate to banana ratio is perfection.

“Here comes Captain Nana. Zoooooom!” He makes other silly noises with each scoop and they always make me giggle.

I finish the nana and the cereal to praise from Daddy.

“All full?”

I nod. Now my hands and face are sticky, and I don’t like it. I raise my hands, not wanting to touch anything.

Daddy gives me a knowing smile. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up, then we can go play with your friends.

” Daddy picks me up and walks me to the sink.

There’s something about how his hand presses to the small of my back that makes me feel cherished.

How strange to feel this way already. He helps me wash my hands, then he’s so gentle as he wipes my face clean.

“All clean.” He boops my nose, then drops a kiss to my forehead.

I suck in a breath. His eyes go wide, but I lean forward again, so he knows it’s okay.

“More.” I point to my forehead and he follows through until he has me giggling because it tickles.

“How are you so sweet?” He asks.

“Momma saids she ate lots of chocolates when I was in her tummy.” I poke at mine.

Daddy snorts and pulls me to his side. He’s so warm and cuddly. I wrap my arms around him, wanting to breathe him in. Daddy’s scent is subtle, no strong cologne, which I appreciate. He smells like clean linen and softness.

“Trevor!” Maddie screams and runs to me. I let go of Daddy right when Maddie runs into me and knocks me to the floor.

“Maddie,” her Mommy says, “please don’t break any bones tonight.”

“I’m good!” Maddie says just as she tickles me and I squirm under her. “Trevy is okay. Rights?”

“I okays!” We wrestle until Maddie starfishes beside me.

“I missed you.” She grabs my hand and squeezes. “Come play!” She drags me back to my feet and we join Bel and his Daddy by the ball pit.

“T-wrex is swimming!” Bel says holding his toy before dropping it into the pit. “He needs more fwrends!”

The three of us toss more dinosaurs into the pit.

“Where’s Evan?” Playingaround123abc is a Middle that usually plays with us. He’s supposed to be here.

Maddie shrugs. “Dunno, supposed to be here tonight. He might have gotten in troubles with his Mommy.”

Bel nods. “He was bad.”

“Oh.” My shoulders drop. I hope he’s okay. I’ll have to remember to message him when I’m Big again.

“We here.” Bel shoves on my shoulder.

Maddie tosses a ball at me. Luckily, I catch it before it hits me in the head.

“We play,” Maddie says, and she drags me over to the blocks. Then the Barbies. Then the coloring area. Daddy Andy is perfect and plays with us and checks in with me. He makes sure I stay hydrated and brings me little snackies, too.

The later it gets, the sleepier I get.

I can barely keep my eyes open as I try to color a picture of a raccoon dancing with a chicken. I’m drooling all over my arm when Daddy pats my head.

“Sweetheart, how about we get into one of those rocking chairs and I read you a story?”

“‘kay.” I rub my eyes as I push to my feet and follow Daddy to the story time space. The rocking chairs are oversized and I can sit next to him if I want, but I really want to sit in his lap.

I crawl up beside him and he pats his knee. “I grabbed a story about a raccoon because I think you’ll like it.”

I settle in and sigh against his chest. “Tank you, Daddy. You pwerfect.” My thumb goes to my mouth and I hold Bandit close. My words must have affected Daddy, because he wraps me in a hug. I soak in the affection, needing every touch. “Daddy comfy.”

He kisses the top of my head. I really like that. So much. I nod and pat the top of my head again. He kisses it over and over and over. I think I like this having a Daddy thing.

“You can fall asleep, it’ll be okay. And I won’t let you sleep longer than twenty minutes.”

“Tank you, Daddy.” I sigh and shut my eyes.

He cracks the book open and starts reading. His voice is so soothing I relax and pass out.