Page 20 of Two Daddies for Little Jenna

She blinked up at me slowly, taking my hand. "I knew you were a good man, Nick. Sometimes you just know."

"So when I moved to Germany to study business management years later, my father was on his death bed from late-diagnosed cancer. He had forbidden Bradley from telling me, didn't want me to waste a semester apparently over something that was bound to happen. Bradley took such good care of my father. My father told him how sorry he was for almost not taking him in, that he was just as much their son as I and my brother were. Bradley informed me the day I finished my exams, with flights already booked and ready. I was glad I was there with my father for his last few weeks, all thanks to Bradley. It was a very eventful year. When I returned to Germany to finish my degree, I came upon a club in Berlin catering to kinks. It's where I fell in love with age play, seeing all the innocent Littles and their dominant Daddies. I knew I wanted to start a club right then, so pitched the idea to some of my business friends and the rest is history."

She kissed my hand she'd been playing with. "I'm sorry for your loss. Does Bradley hang around at the club sometimes? He seems like such a nice man. I can't wait to meet him."

"He…" My throat tightened and the words had a hard time leaving my mouth. "Bradley died a year ago."

She just lay there gaping at me. She had no words as she looked at me shell-shocked. She would only feel it for a moment, but I'd feel the shock for the rest of my life.

"So now you know," I continued quietly in the silence that followed. "Now you know why I drown myself in work. Not because I want to, but because I have to. Every free moment is a reminder that I'm here and he's not. I wish there was some way we could switch positions. He was a saint and he didn't deserve to die. It's almost been a year but the pain is still as fresh. I don't know if it'll ever get any better. God, look at me pouring my heart out at the drop of a hat. Tonight was supposed to be about us, but I'm making it all about me. I just needed someone to talk to, I guess."

I could tell she was considering asking me more. I didn't know if I was ready to relive those traumatic memories. But if things went well, I'd have to talk about it with Jenna one day since Bradley was such a big part of my life. Hell, he had become an even bigger part since his death.

"Death of two closed ones." She sighed, now taking both my hands and kissing them. "I wish I could say something that would make it all better, but I know it never will. I know it'll be painful for the rest of your life. It never really goes away, just gets more bearable with time. I know because I lost two of my siblings. A day doesn't go by where I don't think about them, wishing it was me instead. I'll tell you what Daddy told me once. You can never really move on from something like that. Don't mourn that he's gone. Instead, be happy that he was here, that you got to know him. People say such things to make you feel better, but I've slowly come to realize it's true. You can't change the past, so stop regretting that you took moments with Bradley for granted. All you can do is be grateful for the people you have and treat them better."

"Such a wise girl." I caressed her face. "You know what, we barely know each other but I'm gonna say it anyway."

"Say what?"

"I'm glad you came into my life, and I'm glad that I'm getting to know you. I don't know where this is going, although I know where I want it to. People come and go in life, but I badly hope I get to stay in yours."

It was getting darker but her blush was unmistakable as she whispered, "me too." Then she smiled up at me and pressed my hand against her cheek. "We can talk about something else if you don't want to talk about Bradley. You must've dated Littles before. Have you ever been in love?"

It was another hard issue to talk about, but that's what getting to know someone meant. You had to open your heart and make yourself vulnerable, hoping you won't get hurt in return.

"I've always believed in happily ever afters," I said. “I've always been looking for the one who'd end the search. The Littles I've come across were scared of commitment. But then Sarah came into my life. She wasn't a Little but I fell in love anyway. I thought I could make it work but my need to care for someone went unmet. We dated for seven years and it was hard. She had anger issues and she refused to get help. One day I came home to find her in bed with my brother. I was devastated and kicked them out of my life. I was betrayed by my own brother. Needless to say, Bradley did the same. So I pretty much lost everyone close to me in a matter of years, my father, my brother, my girlfriend, and my best friend. Tragic, I know, but that’s how life is sometimes."

Her lower lip was wobbling and she was trying not to cry. I had to remember that Littles were very sensitive when in their headspace.

"Aw, I'm sorry if I upset you, darling." I wiped her eyes and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. "I should've eased you into it."

"No, Nick." She shook her head and wrapped her arms around my waist. "I'm just sad that you had to go through all that. You are a nice man and you deserve nice things. No matter how bad life gets, just remember that. My life was one tragedy after another too, but Daddy's love managed to save me. I hope you find happiness too. It must be hard to forget Sarah, but you need to move on."

"I don't love her anymore if that's what you mean. Only the pain of my brother's betrayal remains. I would've moved on if it weren't my brother she cheated with. Once a cheater always a cheater. Needless to say, she cheated on my brother later on with another man. My brother apologized to me a month ago but I wasn't ready to forgive him yet. Maybe I will one day when I've found inner peace."

"Yeah, you should take your time." She got her head out of my lap and sat up next to me. "Thank you for sharing your pain with me. Sometimes all you need to ease the pain is a hug. It was what you did when that creep tried to feel me up back at the club."

Suddenly she threw her hands around me. Before I knew it, her soft cheek was pressed up against mine. There it was, the feeling that everything was going to be okay. I had felt this way when I first hugged her. Maybe it was this feeling that I'd been chasing all along.

When she tried to break the hug, I put my hands around her. "Just a little longer."

I wished time could stop so I could enjoy this moment forever. It had been far too long since I’d felt human touch. People took simple things like that for granted. I didn't know if we'd end up going our separate ways after tonight. All I had was this, a small moment of joy in a sea of tragedy. I wanted to hold onto it for as long as I possibly could.

We ended up just sitting there clinging onto each other's bodies. A stranger passing by could've easily mistaken us for lovers.

When I finally let go of her, a wave of sadness overcame me at the realization that she'd go back to her Daddy while I'd have to return to my lonely apartment with a cold bed, with no one to wake up next to.

Surprisingly, she didn't break the hug. Instead, she slowly moved her face until it was inches away from mine. The hands around my waist were now around my neck.

If she didn't have a Daddy, I'd have mistaken the need in her eyes for lust.

"I don't know why," she said. "But this just feels right."

Planting her lips onto mine, she kissed me softly. At first, I waited for her to regret her decision and pull away, so I just sat there frozen. But once I realized it was what she wanted, I began kissing her back.

When she pulled away, the kiss ended sooner than I'd hoped. At least now for the first time in months, I could go to bed feeling warm and happy. It was just a kiss, but it had the power to give me hope for a happier life. I had a genuine smile on after a long time.

"You look so handsome when you smile." She put a hand on my cheek and stroked it with a thumb. "You should do it more often. Now, are you giving me a piggyback ride to the restaurant or what? I'm still starving from all that walking around."