12. Epilogue

Epilogue

Tessy’s Little Dilemma

A familiar Daddy stepped into the littles’ room, though I couldn’t quite place him as he kept his face from me. He had a little girl with him who was definitely new. He said not a word as he let go of her hand and left.

She glanced around the room, sucking on her binky and looked utterly terrified, so I walked over to introduce myself.

“Hello, I’m Miss Tessy,” I pointed to the embroidered name on my smock so she could see in case she forgot. “I love your fairy wings. What’s your name, little one?”

“Mur-Muriel, but I like Muri better.”

“Well, welcome, Muri. Would you like to come and play?”

“Will you play with me?”

“I will but I may have to stop from time to time to help the other littles. Will that be okay?”

“Yes, Miss Tessy.”

She took my hand as we did a loop around the room, briefly stopping at each station so she could decide where she wanted to play.

“Do you see anything you’d like to play with, Muri?”

“Can we do arts and crafts with those two boys?”

“Absolutely. Let me introduce you to them. Jacob, Orion, this is our new friend, Muri. May she join you?”

“Yes, Miss Tess,” they both said.

“I’m Orion. I like dinosaurs and rubbies.”

Jacob shook his head. “Daddy Alex told you to stop saying that. You’re gonna get in big trouble.”

Muri watched the two of them banter back and forth while I got her set up with a stack of popsicle sticks, glue, and a bit of paint. Having not watched her previously, I wasn’t sure if she was a messy little or a clean one. Much safer to err on the side of caution and less clean-up for me.

Once those two stopped bickering and got back to work, Muri focused on her art. I got Muri started on her project then went to break up two littles currently fighting over a red car on the racetrack mat.

“Boys, there are many red cars in the bucket. Look, here’s another of the exact same model.” I handed it to them and that seemed to end their tirade, then I returned to check on Muri.

“Muri, you’ve done so well. I love all the pink and purples.” Wasn’t sure what design she went for, but the coloring was really good. “Are you having fun?”

“Yes, Miss Tessy. Jacob and Orion have been helping me.”

That was good to hear given Orion had an impish side whereas Jacob was an absolute sweetheart. Together they could be the good and bad angels on your shoulder.

With Muri settled in, I restocked the juice boxes in the fridge and double-checked the sugar-free snacks we offered the littles and made my rounds again, but it was getting rather late.

It wasn’t long before the Mommies and Daddies arrived to pick up their tired littles and took them home. Some of the last ones were Alex and Richard, Jacob and Orion’s Daddies, though I knew they never left. They tended to visit with others they knew in the bar area but frequently popped in to check on their boys.

“Wow, and then there were only three,” Alex joked as they stepped inside the room.

“Yes, and I’m a bit concerned. Muri’s Daddy didn’t make eye contact with me and was vaguely familiar. He literally dropped her off and bolted out the door. Are there many others in the bar area?”

“None that have littles,” Richard replied. “Should we stick around and see if he shows?”

“Maybe. My gut is telling me this isn’t gonna end well.”

“Richard, how about I take the boys to my place for a sleepover? Let me know if anything happens and I’ll come right back since our place is the closest.”

“Sounds like a plan. Let me help you get the boys loaded up then I’ll wait with Tess.”

“Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it.” If this Daddy was who I thought he might be, he wasn’t coming back and honestly shouldn’t have gotten past security in the first place.

“Bye, Miss Tess,” Orion said as he hugged me.

“We’re having a sleepover at Orion’s,” Jacob smiled.

“That sounds wonderful. You boys have fun and listen to Lisette.”

“We promise, Miss Tessy.” I swear those two were of the same brain at times.

“I’ll be right back,” Richard said as they walked out. I really hoped I didn’t need to wake the headmistress at this late hour and involve her in this.

“Muri, would you like to watch a movie while I clean up?”

“Yes, please, Miss Tessy,” she yawned. I knew those eyelids would close the second she curled up in the beanbag chair.

Richard returned a few minutes later. “The club is closed, and the place is cleared out. What should we do?”

“Let me wake her.” She looked like a sweet little fairy princess, all curled up in the chair. “Muri, sweetie. It’s time to go home.”

“Is my Daddy here?”

“No, sweet girl, he isn’t. Do you know his phone number?”

“No, it’s in my phone but he didn’t leave it with me.”

Of course, he didn’t, and the look Richard gave me said he thought the same.

“Do you know your address? Miss Tessy will drive you home.”

“Yes,” she rattled it off. “Okay, get your coat and I’ll take you there.”

“Text me the address and I’ll follow you.” I owed Richard big after this and was beyond thankful he’d stayed with me.

We were the last to leave Avec Pleasure , the club I worked at, so I set the alarm and locked up behind us. I got the sleepy girl buckled in and we headed off.

“There’s my house, but why are my dollies in the yard?”

Oh boy.

I waited to get out of the car until I saw Richard had done so first.

“Are those her things on the front lawn?”

“She said as much. Looks like Daddy is having a party.” The closer we got to the house and the clearer visual we had to the inside, the closer I got to vomiting. “Recognize that Daddy and girl staring out at us?”

“Unfortunately, I do. I’m calling Alex.”

While he called Alex, Muri went to look through the boxes of her things and I called the headmistress.

“Headmistress, I’m so sorry to call you at this late hour but we have a situation.” I proceeded to explain what had gone down and what we arrived to. Since our arrival, the front blinds had been drawn. That jackass had literally kicked his little out of the house so he could play with another. How dare he.

“You’re sure it’s the same man and little as the ones you escorted out of the Littles’ Valentine’s party?” Headmistress asked me.

“Positive and so is Richard Worthington. He followed us here to make sure we were safe. Alex Numminen is on his way to help us.”

“What will you do with Muri?”

“For now, she can come home with me. Marcel is my next call, and I know he’d tell me to bring her home while we figure this out.” I was so thankful for my brother’s Daddy and partner, Marcel Allard, and loved that we all lived on the same grounds.

Alex showed up a few minutes later and he and Richard loaded Muri’s stuff into Alex’s truck. Poor Muri was crying so I had her sit in the car where it was warm and safe while we took care of this.

“Marcel, I’m sorry to have woken you but I have a bit of a situation.”

“Are you okay?” Such a caring man, of course that’s the first thing he’d ask me.

“I am, but I won’t be coming home alone, and I hope that’s okay. Remember that Daddy and little from the Valentine’s party that caused all the trouble?”

“I do indeed. What have they done now?”

“Well, he dropped a new little off tonight then didn’t pick her up, so I took her home only to find he’d moved on and put all her things on the front lawn.”

“Are you alone? Where are you? I’ll be right there.”

“Thank you but Richard and Alex are here with me now loading up her things. Is it okay if I bring her home with me? I’m not sure how long she’ll stay but she’s far too tired and upset to tackle that tonight.”

“You have a big heart just like your brother. You need not ever ask for permission to care for another. You bring that sweet girl home, and we’ll do all we can to help her.”

“You’re wonderful, Marcel. We’ll be there shortly.”

“To Marcel’s?” Alex asked.

“Yes, please. I can’t thank you both enough for this.”

“No need to thank us, it was the right thing for all of us to do.” Richard’s stern gaze toward the house told me this battle was nowhere near over.

Muri slept all the way home. “Sweet girl, we’re here.”

She yawned and wiped her eyes then sighed. “I should’ve known something was up when that mean girl was coming over to play all the time. She’d break my toys and hit me and when I cried Daddy put me in time out.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, you deserve better. Come on, let’s get you situated.”

Marcel opened the bay where mine and Ralphie’s old furniture sat. I’d been meaning to donate it but hadn’t got around to it. Maybe Muri would want it for her new place when she found one.

“Where do you want her stuff, Tess?” Marcel asked.

“Probably here by our old stuff, then she can get what she needs out of it.” He hadn’t even labeled any of the boxes and her belonging were haphazardly thrown in them. “Muri, did you want to see if your jammies and bathroom stuff is in there?”

“Yes, Miss Tessy.” She poked around, grabbed a fairy doll and bear but nothing else.

“Is something wrong?”

“He didn’t pack any of my clothes. I don’t see my cute purses or money or phone,” she burst into tears.

“Muri, I’m sorry he did this to you, but we will help you with whatever you need. I’m Daddy Marcel and this is where I live with my little, Ralphie, and Miss Tess.”

“I’m Daddy Richard, I’m Jacob’s Daddy.”

“And I’m Daddy Alex, Orion’s Daddy. We’re all here to help you. Do you have a car or a job or anything else like that?”

“No, Daddy wouldn’t let me work and he handled all the money. I don’t have anything. No friends. No family. Nothing.” The poor thing shook so bad I couldn’t help but hug her.

“Don’t you worry one bit, little one. We will help you. Tess, have you already spoken with the headmistress?” Marcel asked and I knew if I hadn’t, he and two other Daddies would have.

“I did and I let her know all of you were helping us. I’m off tomorrow so I can take Muri to get new clothes and personal supplies. In the meantime, I’m sure I have something she can wear.”

“Th-th-thank you, Miss Tessy.” She had a death grip on her dolls but could barely hold her eyes open.

“Let me get her tucked in. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

Muri and I walked through the laundry room to my side of the house and into the living room. “Muri, would you like something to drink?”

“Milk, please.”

“You and Ralphie will get along just fine.” I grabbed a glass and filled it for her. “While you drink that I’ll get you some pajamas.”

“Thank you, Miss Tess.”

I swear I was mad enough that steam likely came from my ears. What kind of a monster did this to someone? Especially one you vowed to take care of. Hell, were they married? I pulled a sleep set from the dresser and brought it out to Muri.

“Here you go. Muri, were you and your Daddy married?”

“No, Miss Tess. We’d only been dating for a few months. We met on an app and he insisted I move right in with him. I gave up my job, my apartment, my life, and now I have nothing.”

“You have us, little one. Are you hungry?”

“No, just worn out and tired. Now I have to start my life all over again. I knew better but didn’t listen to myself.”

“I’m so sorry. Let me show you to the guest room.” We walked down the hall, the rooms sat directly across from each other. “There’s the bathroom and that’s my room. If you need me, feel free to wake me up and if you get hungry you’re welcome to anything in the kitchen or the kitchen in the main house. I’m gonna go talk to the Daddies then I’ll be back.”

She wrapped her arms around me and began to cry again. “Thank you, Miss Tess.”

“You’re welcome, sweet girl.”

Now to make sure that so-called Daddy was not only banned from every club possible, but that app got shut down, too. I had a feeling it was the same one Ralphie used.

A Little Christmas 3: Ralphie, is part of a multi-author series. Please check out the other books here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D49DK5KP

Coming soon:

In Mommy's Arms

Tess and Muri's story