Chapter 10

Helping Rachel move was bittersweet. Isla couldn't help but be charmed by how excited her babygirl was about everything. Rachel's job said that they were fine with her going fully remote—as long as she came up to London for important meetings with clients once in a while—and everything had gone through with the flat super quickly.

It was like she'd gotten the girl, just before the girl left.

And Isla knew that that wasn't entirely true; Rachel would be just as much hers in Brighton as she was in London, but she hadn't realized how lonely she'd feel.

They'd ended up spending so much time together; evenings after work, cuddly sleepovers, most weekends, and this move was going to change all of that, just as they were beginning.

But it was important to her girl, Isla could see that. Could see the way her face lit up when she saw the sea at the end of the road, and the way she laughed when she heard seagulls overhead. It was important to Rachel, and so it was important Isla.

She determined to be happy for her girl.

The drive down to Brighton had been rather lovely in the end. Isla let Rachel choose the music station and some fairly cheesy 2000s pop had blasted the entire trip, Rachel singing her heart out.

And when they'd gotten there, Isla had engaged one of her core lesbian traits and tackled furniture building with an intensity that had Rachel hopping around, trying to get her to take breaks and drink tea.

She'd taken a few days off work, to help Rachel settle in, and in the back of the van she'd packed a surprise.

So when they got hungry, Isla sent Rach down the road to pick up some fish and chips, and set about building her babygirl a princess tent.

The instructions were more complicated than the ones for the bed, but somehow she managed to put it all together and erect it in a corner of Rachel's living room, nestled in between two bookcases that were overflowing with plants. It was pink, of course, and looked like a castle, with pretty net curtains that allowed the inhabitant to hide away.

Isla filled it with soft cushions and then placed a small stuffie in the center, a cat filled with a tiny beanbag so that it looked like a fat cat when it sat. It was small enough so that it would fit into the pocket of Rachel's jeans when she was out and about; a perfect pocket-sized stuffie, for a perfect babygirl.

It took longer to build than Isla had expected, and she had just placed the kitty in the center of the tent when the front door opened and Rachel walked into the flat.

"Daddy!" she called. "I've got food!"

"I'm through here," called back Isla.

Rach came in, talking so fast that Isla had to concentrate to keep up. "I got cod and scampi, and only one portion of chips, but a large portion because the portions are huge and—fuck!"

"Language, babygirl," said Isla, but she was grinning because Rach was clearly stunned.

"What did…? How did…? Daddy, what did you do?"

"I made you a princess tent."

Rach dropped the food on the table and dove headfirst into the tent. There was an audible thump as she hit the pillows. "There's a kitty!"

"I thought she could keep you company when I'm not here," said Isla. "Do you like the tent?"

Her head popped out from between the net curtains so suddenly that it made Isla laugh. "Like it? I love it! Seriously, Daddy, this is amazing!"

"Well, you work so hard that I thought it would be good for you to have a space that you can hide away in when you need a break. And I thought you'd like it being surrounded by plants on each side."

Rachel looked up at the bookcases beside her and smiled, a beautiful sunny thing that warmed the room as much as it did Isla. "It's gorgeous. I love it; thank you."

"You're so welcome, babygirl."

"Now I just need picture books to read in it." She shot a cheeky smile at Isla. "Don't you think so, Daddy?"

And the next thing Isla knew, she was eating chips and pouring over picture book lists, helping Rachel pick out some of her favorites to order.

"You'll read me stories, won't you Daddy?" asked Rachel, and in that moment Isla would have done anything at all that her babygirl asked of her.

"Yes, my darling," she said. "Of course I will." And then she leaned across and kissed her girl.