Page 42 of Their Perfect Daddy
SKYE
T he couch was absolutely horrid in person.
Monty snorted from beside me as he pushed at my lower back to get me to sit. Not wanting to make a scene, I ease down onto the fabric. I’m expecting it to be uncomfortable, and yet, it’s not. I sigh as the cushions support my weight without being too stiff or too soft.
“What kind of witchcraft is this?” I ask aloud as my boys drop down beside me.
Danny sits in the middle with Monty on his other side. They face me for a moment with wide eyes, before breaking into giggles. Others in the room look our way. Thankfully, they don’t call us out.
Then again, why would they? We’re at a Little slumber party. Giggles are to be expected.
When Aries floated the idea of this night, I knew it was perfect for my boys. Not only do they get to have time to let loose, but they also get to be surrounded by friends who understand them. They don’t have to try to temper their regression to meet other people’s needs.
Several of the boys here have already settled into their younger mindsets.
Finn is cuddled onto Bellamy as the large man reads him a picture book.
Raymond and Aries are coloring together, with Aries looking as much into it as his boy.
Bishop is watching over Atlas as he slowly builds a puzzle.
Micah supervises Jett playing with a train set.
Leon and Maddox are on the back patio watching Jake do cartwheels across the yard.
Luke is in the kitchen with Timothy decorating cookies (he was hungry and only wanted sweets).
Andry, our youngest Daddy in the room, is finger painting with Rodney, who I found out is Aries’s younger brother.
Normally my boys would be all about the playtime. Monty’s Game Boy is in the bag by the door, and Danny has some dolls he brought with him that are still in the box because we grabbed them on the way over. For them to be sitting with me instead says a lot about where their minds are at.
“Talk to me,” I tell them.
Danny wiggles a bit as if to get comfy, though he doesn’t speak. His small hands reach over to tug my shirt, as if he wants me closer. He does the same to Monty. Once we’re where he wants us, he sighs and leans his head back.
“Better now?” Monty asks him.
“Much!”
I place my hand over his, squeezing it to encourage him. Still he doesn’t say anything. His gaze turns to Monty, who has draped his arm around Danny’s shoulder. The move allows him to touch us both. It’s as if we’re a unified group, none of us more important than the other.
“Can we talk before we go play? I have some ideas I want to run by you.”
“Absolutely. Whatever you need, Brat.”
He grins at the nickname. “Bellport Beginnings is going to start up soon. I want to do a proper launch party and everything for it. I need to get as many eyes on it as I can, you know?”
“I can help plan the party,” Danny offers.
“Thank you, Princess. I was hoping you’d offer. Having seen what you and my brother are capable of, I know we’ll be in good hands.”
Our princess sighs as if he’s just been given the best compliment ever. For him, it probably does feel that way.
“While I might not be as gifted in the planning aspect as some,” I motion to Danny, “I’m more than willing to help in other ways. Mrs. Bellport is in the know for just about every fundraising effort there is in town. We’re close enough I feel confident in speaking to her for you.”
“I can go with you to talk to her when you do,” Bellamy calls from off to the side.
Looking his way, I notice he’s without his boy. His thumb goes over his shoulder pointing to the open kitchen area. Finn and Raymond have both joined Timothy in the cookie decorating.
Monty bites his lip. I have no doubt he wants to go in there too. He and Danny both.
“We appreciate your help, Bellamy. This is going to be great for the community and surrounding areas. I have no doubt people will be willing to travel to get here for the clinics we'll offer.”
Since the athletes involved in mentoring the kids will have busy schedules, Monty has chosen to host clinics to start things off.
If that goes well, then we’ll transition into a more full-time resource.
Overall, the goal is to give these kids a safe and happy place to explore how strong they really are.
Too many people look down on special needs children especially. They wouldn’t dare be given the chance to learn about weightlifting or cardio options in a traditional gym.
And for the LGBTQIA+ teens, they’ll be able to express themselves however they want without fear of retaliation because their shirt happens to be pink or because their nails are painted.
The thought reminds me I need to get with Royce about helping out too.
They’re going to be a great real-life example of how being your authentic self isn’t a bad thing.
Focusing back on the conversation, I realize Danny and Bellamy are tossing ideas out to Monty about how to do the kickoff party. Each one offers him the chance to highlight different parts of the program.
“What if we rent out the stadium to host a major clinic for a day? We can have stations set up to show everyone what it will be like, and the athletes can be there to meet the kids. I’ll even film some footage to add to the website later. I’ve got the equipment.”
Danny blushes at my words as Monty snorts. Bellamy’s eyes widen, though he doesn’t question it.
Just great. Now our friend is thinking I make porn at home. Not that there is anything wrong that type of sex work. I might not show my cock on screen, yet what I do would still be classified as fantasy spank bank material.
Every person gets to choose how they live their truth. For me, that means some tantalizing shots of my hands doing otherwise boring daily tasks.
“We need to coordinate calendars for the seasons and everything,” Danny says after a moment of awkward silence.
“You’re so nerdy.” Monty winks to let our princess know he’s only teasing.
Bellamy drops down on the arm of the couch with a soft laugh.
“Nerdy or not, I think balancing it all is important. We already have a lot on our plate with practice, PR stuff, and the regular volunteer work we do. Not to mention taking care of our loved ones, setting up playdates for our partners, and all the millions of other little things popping up.”
“When you put it that way…” Monty’s voice trails off as he frowns.
Reaching across Danny, I take his hand and squeeze tightly.
“Don’t let yourself overthink this. You’ve got more than enough people wanting to help out to create a rotating schedule.
Danny and Bellamy’s points are to simply say they think it's important to keep all the extras in mind. You’ve wanted to do this for a long time.
No taking it back now that the plan is in motion. ”
His gaze meets mine and all the doubt fades. My boy smiles brightly.
“Thanks, Daddy. I needed the pep talk.”
“HEY! Give it back!” A voice shouts from the side.
We all turn to see Aries is eating a cookie while Raymond pouts at him. Aries laughs around a mouthful of sugar and icing.
At least, he does until Raymond sticks his bottom lip out. In the next instant, said lip is quivering. Aries drops the cookies and scoops up his boy. He rushes from the room shouting, “Don’t cry, Amorcito! Daddy is sorry!”
The minute they’ve cleared the room, Luke scoffs. “So glad he doesn’t play hockey.”
Jake jogs in through the back door with a confused look around the room. “Did I hear Aries yelling?”
“Yep,” Finn answers as he straightens the cookies on the counter. “He ate Raymond’s cookie.”
“IN FRONT OF EVERYONE?!”
Timothy snorts, then covers his mouth as if he’s embarrassed by the noise. That’s all it takes for the tension to leave and laughter to fill the space.
Later, when Aries and Raymond make their way back into the main room, it’s with disheveled hair and a few love bites. It’s obvious to everyone how Aries apologized to his boy. Can’t say I blame him. If I ever hurt my boys, I’d do anything and everything they wanted to set it right.