Page 7

ANDY

I’m munching on my sad lunch salad and open the forum to find excitement.

RaccoonBandit: SO CLOSE! OMGSOEXCITEDCOMEONWEEKEND! I get to sleep in and it sounds so friggin good.

MaddieBaby: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Playingaround123abc: Need you all so bad

BabyboyBel: Daddy, why is it so far away?

DaddyHandsome: sweetheart, it’ll be here soon enough.

I snort because I know DaddyHandsome as Yuri. BabyboyBel is his Little and the two have always been so sweet as long as I’ve known them. I’m not sure they realize I’m me on the forum, though.

DaddyAttyAndy: I look forward to seeing a few of you again. It’s been awhile. Over six months.

DaddyHandsome: Wait!! Are you? It can’t be!

DaddyAttyAndy: ;)

DaddyHandsome: Where the fuck have you been?

BabyboyBel: DADDY SAID A BAD WORD! $5 to the swearsies jar.

I laugh again.

1 new private message.

I smile. Okay, maybe this forum thing isn’t so bad.

DaddyHandsome: Is it really you Andy? Andy Beckland?

DaddyAttyAndy: The one and only!

DaddyHandsome: Where have you been? You left, and no one knew what happened.

I scratch at my chest, not wanting to think about my reasons.

DaddyAttyAndy: Work got hectic. This is really the first weekend I’ll be able to just chill. What better way than to be with my friends?

DaddyHandsome: Happy to have you back, man. But next time, don’t just ghost us. We worry about you, especially when you don’t return our texts.

DaddyAttyAndy: I’m sorry. Life got overwhelming and my coping mechanism is disappearing.

Probably not the best quality for a Daddy.

DaddyHandsome: I know it seems easier. But you really do have friends that worry about you.

DaddyAttyAndy: I got that message loud and clear earlier this week. Kevin threatened to kick me out of the partnership if I didn’t take a break, so I’m taking next month completely off.

DaddyHandsome: He can just do that?

DaddyAttyAndy: Sure can. We wrote it in as a joke, but he took it seriously.

DaddyHandsome: Probably for the best. Glad to have you come back though. Can’t wait to see you. There are plenty of unattached Littles and Middles to play with. Most are all really sweet. A few are a bit bratty, just like you enjoy ;)

I groan.

DaddyAttyAndy: I do like a sweet brat.

DaddyHandsome: I remember.

DaddyAttyAndy: Hey, I gotta get back to it, but text me any time, ‘kay?

DaddyHandsome: will do! See you this weekend!

Ugh. I hate that Kevin was right. I need to get back out into the world and stop wallowing in my grief. Stop my self-pity. Live my life again.

Andy: Thanks, man.

Kevin: Anytime 3

I snort again and shake my head. I don’t know what the hell I’d do with myself without him, but sometimes Daddies need to be taken care of too. Especially when they forget themselves.