Chapter 12

Les

"Where doyou keep your Little clothes?" Les asked.

He made sure he was loud enough for Rae-Rae to hear him from the bathroom. He'd carried her in there and set her down next to the potty. She'd let him help get her pajamas down and sit but had asked for privacy. He'd let her have it this time but had warned her that unless it was a hard limit, he'd be helping her and taking care of her from this point forward.

Les had decided to use the time to help pick an outfit for the day instead.

"Second drawer down in the dresser," she hollered back.

Les headed to the drawer she'd indicated and started rummaging through. He chuckled at all the clothes that were reminiscent of the nineteen-seventies. Rae-Rae had always been fascinated with that time in history and had adored the styles. Sometimes, if she couldn't find what she wanted, she'd sewn it herself. They had always come out looking amazing. His girl was a masterful seamstress.

As he searched the drawer for something he wanted her to wear for the day, his hand brushed against something hard and cool. It was very out of place in a drawer full of soft fabrics.

Assuming it had fallen into the drawer somehow, Les grabbed hold of it and pulled it out to set it on the top of the dresser, but when he saw what he was holding, he stopped short and stared in disbelief. What he held in his hand was the last thing he expected to see.

He couldn't move, or take his eyes off of the object, his hope growing with each passing second. He wasn't sure how long he stood there staring, but he was snapped out of his trance when he heard her voice behind him.

"What's wrong, Daddy?"

Raelynn

When Daddy turnedto face her, she immediately saw the gold chain dangling from his hand. That's how she knew exactly why he had the look of disbelief on his face.

"You kept it," he breathed, and she felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment.

"Yeah," was the only word she could get out of her mouth at that moment. Too many emotions were flooding her mind.

"You kept your collar," he whispered.

Some of the emotions had settled in and she could say a few more words, "I did."

"You brought it here with you."

"I needed it."

"Why?"

"Because I can't get into Little Space without it." Now Raelynn felt a burning need to explain. "I wear it while in Little space because I need to feel like I have a Daddy. I couldn't imagine having any other Daddy than you. Even when I was alone, you've always been my Daddy."

A tear trailed down her cheek. Her emotions felt too big to be contained, like they might bust out of her at any moment. Raelynn also noticed the tears dripping from Daddy's eyes. He'd always been free with his emotions, never hiding them from her, and apparently that hadn't changed. She was glad for that. She'd loved knowing how he felt. Still, she couldn't help but be a little nervous as he'd not spoken since she'd explained why she had the collar.

Daddy stepped toward her, approaching with caution, as if he were a bit nervous as well. When he reached her, he said, "I'd like you to wear it this week. If I'm honest, I'd like you to wear it forever, but we can start with this week."

All Raelynn could do was nod, but it was enough. Daddy slipped the chain over her head, settling it into place. More tears streamed down his face as he took in the sight of her with the purple gem resting in the hollow at the base of her throat.

When he moved again, it was to devour her in a kiss hot enough to start a fire. What she'd said earlier was true. Sometimes fire was a good thing.