Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 30353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
My Daddies took my hands again and led me into the kitchen, which had a long wooden table in the center. We all took a seat and I watched in awe as Cedric floated around the room, humming to himself as he grabbed pots and pans, and waved off everyone’s offers to help.
I fell into conversation with the rest of the group, finding out more about how they’d built their home together and the nightclub business they owned. When I told them about my life, they all gave sweet, encouraging words, and Cedric even paused from cooking to give me a hug and tell me that I always had a place with them.
I couldn’t believe how welcoming they were to me. I had just met them, but they already felt like friends, and it was easy to see how Felix and Enzo saw them as family.
“Here we go,” Cedric announced as he placed a dish onto the table. “Herb roasted chicken and potatoes. And for the little guys…” He turned around and picked up two plates, which he slid in front of Brady and me. They each held chicken nuggets which were in the shape of dinosaurs, and a scoop of mashed potatoes.
"Dino nuggies!" Brady cheered before grabbing one and stuffing it into his mouth.
I studied the meal before me, touched that Cedric not only accepted and understood my desires, but went out of his way to make me feel special. I whispered a shaky, "Thank you," and Cedric winked again before taking his place next to Asher.
I watched with wide eyes as everyone dug into their food. The men quickly gobbled down every bite, leaving nothing but clean utensils behind.
"Was it okay?" Cedric asked when he saw that I still had food on my plate. I ate all of my potatoes, but I couldn't finish all of my dinosaurs.
"It was really yummy," I answered before patting my stomach. "My tummy is just full." My cheeks heated when I realized what I said. The special meal and the comfort I felt around these guys was relaxing me into my little headspace.
But Cedric just smiled and replied, "I'm glad to hear it. If it's okay with your Daddies, you can have some ice cream once your belly settles."
I looked excitedly between Felix and Enzo, who both nodded. "Our sweet boy definitely deserves some dessert," Poppa smiled, and I thanked him with a big hug.
"But first," Daddy cut in, "I think there's another little boy who would like to play with you." He pointed across the table to Brady, who was nodding furiously.
I crooked my finger at Daddy and when he leaned his head closer, I asked him, "Can I please have my lion and blocks to play with?"
"Of course." He kissed my head before standing up from the table. He went outside and returned faster than I thought possible, carrying my bag of goodies. "Here you go."
"Thank you, D-" I paused, but remembered that I didn't need to hide anything here. "Thank you, Daddy."
He beamed with pride when he replied, "You're welcome. You can run along and play with Brady now."
"We'll come in and check on you soon," Enzo added. "And just yell if you need us."
"Okay, Poppa."
I received a cheek kiss from each of them before I pushed away from the table and followed Brady, who was waving wildly. He led me into a room which held a twin size bed with jungle print bedding, a dresser, and piles of toys.
"What did you bring to play with?" Brady asked as he tried to peek inside the bag I held.
"I have some blocks, and this cute lion." I pulled out the stuffy, and Brady grinned.
"I like it. It looks like my daddy." I smiled at his imagination, and at the huge toy gorilla he grabbed from the corner. "This is Mr. Monkey."
"Hmm, do you know what Mr. Monkey looks like?" Brady shook his head and I added, "Lunch!"
He squealed when I chased him around the room, making growling and teeth chomping noises. My lion wouldn't really eat Mr. Monkey. He was a good lion, but it was fun to pretend.
But even though he was a mighty lion, he was much smaller than Mr. Monkey. The gorilla managed to trap him in his long arms and wrestle him to the ground. But when Lion said, "I surrender," he was let loose.
"I'm sorry I tried to eat you," Lion told Mr. Monkey, who understood.
"It's okay. If you're hungry, there's some food over here."
Brady waved me over to a play kitchen, complete with plastic food and little pots and pans. We worked together to prepare a feast fit for our jungle beasts; fried chicken, peas, corn on the cob, and spaghetti. They ate every bite, and Lion decided it tasted even better than gorilla.
"Oh my, did you eat a second dinner?" A voice asked from behind me. I turned to find Daddy, Poppa, Lance, and Hunter standing in the doorway.