Page 23 of Lane's Lost Kitten

“Oh, how could I forget. We always have snacks. Tonight it’s orange juice pouches and animal crackers. For our healthy little boys and girls, we have trees,” which was code for broccoli.

“Sounds perfect,” I replied, fully prepared to skip the green stuff.

“Bubbles?” Daddy asked.

“Bubbles!” It had been years since I played with my bubbles. Not only did she have all the colors, but also a bubble gun.

Tons of little bubbles that sparkled as they hit the light floated in the air. I crawled around, popping them until I was out of breath and ready to move on. Quite a few littles joined, and I met three new people.

That had been my goal for the night: to make friends. I was pretty proud of myself for reaching out and, when it was time to eat, I took my three new friends with us, and we had a snack together. Daddy talked with their daddies and the one mommy. We were having a blast.

But as the next story time came, my energy depleted and I snuggled beside Daddy and listened to the Miss Lily read to us. Soon I was yawning. It wasn’t even that late, and I wasn’t tired, not really. But between the excitement of play and the relaxing nature of story after having a full belly of juice and broccoli —they had ranch —and animal crackers had me done. At least for a while..

“Did you want to take a break?” He kissed the top of my head. “We can go out into the main area and relax on the couches.”

It sounded heavenly.

“Yes, Daddy.”

We left the little room, and Daddy looked around until he found a group of littles and daddies who had some space left in their seating area. “

“Hi, we’re new. We’re hoping we could join you. I’m Elio and this is my boy, Lane.”

“Well hello,” a man holding a crochet project stood up. “I’m Bridger. This is my boy, Hudson, and these are our friends. We’d love to have you join us.”

He introduced us to each of them, and we sat down. I played with the littles, and Daddy talked to the other daddies. It was the perfect ending to our first “real” night at Chained.

Epilogue

Elio

“How does everything look?” I stepped back from the “tablescape” we’d created together. This was the first time we would be hosting a play party in our home. Since becoming regulars at Chained, we’d been invited to a number of other member’s homes. Some of those were for barbecues or various other types of parties, but more often than not they were play dates for a few or a bunch of littles and their mommies and daddies.

It was entirely different from club events where they had so many activities planned and a staff to vacuum up all the glitter and mop up all the paint. Our friends would generally set a theme and keep things a little less messy. But fun. Just so much fun.

We had a lot to live up to.

“It’s perfect.” Lane teached for a bunny-shaped cracker from the bowl in the center of the table then pulled his hand back.

“You can eat one.” I grabbed a bunch. “Let me see your hand.”

He extended it, palm up, and I poured the cheesy crunchy things into it. “My friends will like these. They won’t even know they are good for them.” Unlike most of the shaped treats we’d found, these were actually a little more on the healthy side.

I ate one myself. “Nope, they taste just the same as the other ones you like.” For our bunny party, Lane had wanted to be true to the theme in every way. We had a veggie platter with a big bowl of ranch dip surrounded by carrots, celery, sugar snap peas, and radishes as well as cherry tomatoes. All the vegetable pictured in the version of Peter Rabbit we would be reading during story time. We also had bunny shaped mac and cheese, almond butter and jam sandwiches cut out with a bunny face cutter, bunny butt carrot muffins with the most adorable tails and a bunny cake to finish. More things too. The table, covered with an orange cloth, groaned under its burden.

“It’s going to be a fun party, isn’t it?” His words were confident, but the line between his eyebrows told a different story, so I took his hand and led him to the big chair. Our guests would be arriving any minute, and Lane looked completely adorable in his bunny jams. He was already panning a Cat-terine themed party for later in the year, but this one was about the drawing he’d made me, which had graduated from the fridge to framed status on the living room wall, and the bunny I’d had made for him to match it. Bridger and a couple of other daddies had suggested we keep the number of littles invited to six or fewer, and the play to a couple of activities and a story or animated feature. Thus Peter Rabbit’s Garden where the named bunny stops being a scofflaw in favor of growing his own veggies.

“It is going to be amazing. It’s very nice of you to share your nursery playroom with the others as well.” We’d just finished it. It was set up with a toddler bed instead of the crib many wanted, and a dresser filled with clothes. Also a toy box that had almost no room left. Not every little wanted to open their private space that way, but my generous boy loved to share, and we’d be doing a building activity and guessing game in there. “Have I told you how proud you make me?”

“Yes.” He came over and flung his arms around me. “And it’s only fair since I have the bestest daddy of all.”

“And I have the best boy.” In the whole world.

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