Page 29 of His Little Hessonite

“Probably two days. I’ll monitor her closely. Tomorrow we’ll let her wake up. She’ll be able to sit up and resume normal activities by then, but I want her to have an entire day without any signs of complications before I release her for transportation.”

I nod and take a deep breath. “I can’t believe how stressed I feel.”

Dankin smiles. “It’s normal. Every single Papi feels just like you when they meet their mate. I can’t speak from experience, of course, but I’ve seen many men come through here with their Little girls, and all of them were panicking just like you feel. The bond is deeper than any of us can imagine. No matter how much we read and study or what prior men tell us about the mating pull, we can’t grasp it until it happens to us.”

I wring my fingers together in front of me. “I want to hold her in my arms and never set her down so I’m constantly reassured she’s alive and healthy.”

“Understandable. You can hold her tomorrow.”

Tomorrow seems like a decade from now. Plus, I will have to relinquish her for six long months when we enter the transport vessel. She will remain in a deep state of stasis the entire time. It will drive me mad waiting to see her eyes and hear her voice again, but at least I will be able to keep a constant eye on her. I’ll be able to listen to her breathing and watch her chest rise and fall.

“Can I see her?”

“Yes, of course. You’ll need to sedate her every few hours to keep her asleep. As soon as she shows any signs of movement, prick her again.”

I nod in agreement.

“It’s okay to hold her hand or even talk to her. Your voice and touch will help keep her calm even though she won’t be consciously aware of you.” Dankin points to the room next to the exam room. “I moved her into the recovery room. You can pass through the connecting door. She’s in a bed with railings on both sides.”

“Okay.” I turn and enter the room, shutting the door behind me before I pass through to the recovery room.

My girl is asleep, but I find myself relaxing at the sight of her. I pull a chair up close and lower both the railing and the height of the bed so I can lean against the edge and hold her hand in mine.

A soft blanket is draped over my girl, but I pull it down to expose her breasts. It’s plenty warm enough in here for her. She won’t get cold. I like seeing her soft globes and rosy nipples. I will rarely let her cover them when we get home.

Little girls do not wear shirts or dresses or anything else on Eleadia. It’s our custom. Most Papis do let them have covers inbed, but I won’t let Clara block her breasts from my view. I like the way the exposure heightens her arousal even in rest.

I won’t touch my Little girl’s chest while she’s sedated, but I will enjoy seeing her pert breasts. As I watch, her pretty nipples harden from the air in the room. It’s not sexual right now. It’s simply a physical reaction. But it’s still sexy.

I carefully pick up her closest hand in mine and kiss her fingers before rubbing her knuckles against my cheek. I keep her tiny hand in mine as I lower it to the bed.

There is no way I will be able to part from her. How do other Papis leave their Little girls alone in their cribs in their nurseries and walk away? I don’t think I can do that. I’m already plotting a new plan. I can’t have her in another room. Maybe someday in the future, I will be able to loosen the reins, but not at first.

I’ll move her crib to my room and put a pallet in the living room. She’ll sleep a lot for the first two weeks, but she will do so where I can see her at all times. I will want to check on her often and make sure she’s breathing.

I’m going to be far more overprotective than the average Papi. I can already tell. But I won’t apologize for my diligence. It’s who I am. It won’t hurt her to sleep close to me. Eventually I will put her in my bed at night so I can monitor and check on her easier. I’ll get a barrier for the other side of our bed so she can’t roll over and fall. The bed is high enough off the floor that she could really get injured if she fell. In fact, I think I’ll put up a railing on that side and leave it there forever. I wonder if anyone else has designed something like that.

I haven’t slept. I know I’m exhausted. I also know staring at my girl won’t change anything, so I release her hand and settle mine against her chest as I lie my head on the mattress next to her.

I’m calmed by the fact that I can feel her chest rising and falling. I can sense everything about her. Our hearts beat inunison as I force myself to relax next to her. The warmth of her skin and feel of her breath hitting my hand is soothing.

Finally I let sleep pull me under.

Chapter Twelve

Kalbrac

Twenty-four hours later, I’m holding my Little girl in my arms, feeding her like I will for the rest of our lives. At some point in the future, I will eventually start to introduce foods from my planet, but I will never stop bottle feeding her entirely because I enjoy the bonding experience.

She’s wide awake and showing no signs of complications from the surgery this time. Dankin thinks she’s almost one-hundred percent, but we will still wait another day to begin the long journey home just to be sure.

As she finishes the bottle, I pop it from her mouth and set it aside.

She’s gripping my pinky finger with her hand. I love it when she does that. It’s not conscious. It happens naturally.

“I feel all better, Papi,” she tells me, probably hoping I will stop hovering.

I won’t. Perhaps not ever. I smile at her. “I’m so glad. You nearly gave me a heart attack. You don’t have permission to ever get sick or injured again. Papi’s heart can’t take it.”