Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70014 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Oh, that’s a hard question.” I made thinking sounds to keep him distracted as he slowly reached into the bag. “I think black licorice is disgusting, and every once in a while, Kenzie makes something with that seed or spice, whatever it is, that tastes like it. He’s very polite when I decline but he’s perfectly convinced that enough sugar covers up the taste. It doesn’t.”
Stefan was shaking again and that time the laughter escaped. “That’s terrible, Daddy.”
“I know. It’s like he’s torturing me.” Stefan’s hand was going insanely slowly as he started pulling something out of the bag, so I kept up the distraction. “Of course, he only makes the godawful stuff when I disagree with him about something, so he might actually be torturing me.”
Stefan immediately started nodding. “He did it just after I got here. He was mad at you about tattling on something—I missed that part, so I don’t know what you did—but he made those cookies just to punish you.”
Kenzie was such a brat.
But he was saved from being tattled on again when Stefan pulled his first present out of the bag. It was wrapped in the same white tissue paper, but I thought it was fairly obvious what it was as he slowly unwound the paper.
A bottle.
As soon as he had it open, he looked down at it for several long moments before he petted the pictures on the outside. “I like the bears, Daddy.”
“I thought they were very cute and they reminded me of you.” The way that made his head cock made me chuckle. “You’ll see why in just a minute.”
“Oh.” He looked up at the bag again. “There was more stuff.”
“That’s right. I picked out a few things for you to try.” Picking up the bottle, I set it on the table. “You like sucking on the applesauce and this way I can help you with water or juice or anything like that.”
He didn’t give me much to work with but he nodded. “I like juice and I liked cuddling with you and…and I might be orally focused based on a few things I’ve read.”
That was not a surprise.
“Then this will probably be relaxing no matter what headspace you’re in.” I hoped it was my calm tone that helped him relax, but as he leaned back into me again, I still wasn’t sure.
“When I was in high school, the popular girls got it into their heads that bottles and binkies were cool.” That was much easier to talk about than anything regarding his own preferences. “I don’t think they were little, but it was some kind of fun game to them.”
People were interesting in all kinds of different ways.
“What did you think back then?” He wiggled as he thought about my question and pulled out the next wrapped package.
“Um, well, I thought it was weird but a lot of things girls did at that point was weird.” He grinned as I laughed. “Yeah, but when I saw them, I kept imagining what it would be like. I thought it was just because it was different, but now I don’t know.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being curious about something and trying it. Then you get to decide if you like it and you want to do it again or you don’t.” As he revealed the binkie I’d bought him, I gestured toward it. “You might not like that and you might decide you like your thumb, or you might like something else.”
Stefan was studying the binkie carefully, turning the plastic-wrapped package over in his hands as he studied it. “I like my applesauce.”
He’d found that incredibly relaxing.
“You might like the binkie or you might not. I just wanted to give you a chance to explore.” I was working at keeping my tone as neutral as possible, but I wasn’t sure what he was thinking.
“Would…would you like to see me with the binkie?”
Okay, maybe too neutral.
“I’ll answer that, but you have to promise me that you won’t do something just because I like it, and you won’t hide something you’re curious about if you think I won’t like it. We’ll both have limits, but we can always find things in common.”
“You’re a worrier, but yes, I promise. Kenzie told Alick and Lorne that he thinks all Daddies are worriers.” Stefan offered up that helpful piece of knowledge as he opened the bag the binkie was sealed in.
“I know. I got a lecture about that. He thinks it’s something genetic that’s tied to the genes that make people Daddies and Mommies.” He was insane. “But really it’s just that Daddies and Mommies know all the shenanigans littles can get up to and it’s exhausting to think about.”
Stefan’s laugh escaped before he could catch it. “I’ll let you be right, Daddy.”
My snort got another giggle from him. “Thank you.”