Page 64 of Daddy's Little Cupcake

“Does this someone have a name?”

“She does. Her name is Charlotte, and she’s my little one if you haven’t heard already.”

Finn had no doubt that the other owners knew he had found someone, his little girl. He wasn’t mad, but people talked, and he knew it.

“The cute little you were with the other night?” Michael asked.

“That’s her.”

“What’s wrong?”

“She may be getting a cold, but I’m not quite sure. She sounded off when I called her last night around ten, and then I picked her up at three-thirty, and she sounded and looked worse.”

“A sick little. That’s not fun. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

Michael hung up, and Finn sat an on the couch in the kitchen. He hoped that she wouldn’t be too sick, that it was just a minor cold that would go away in a couple days.

A knock sounded on the door, and Finn got up to go answer it.

“When did you first notice her getting sick?” Michael asked coming in, not waiting for pleasantries.

It was like Michael to just go straight into business, and Finn liked that.

“I knew she was getting tired and not enough sleep whenever we called each night. It wasn’t until tonight that I realized she was starting to get sick.”

Finn regretted not keeping a closer eye on her. He should’ve been more diligent in making sure that she got at least eight hours of sleep each night and eat healthy.

“She works at the bakery?”

He wasn’t surprised that Michael already knew this. Michael, Jaxson, or someone else probably told him that she worked there.

“Yes, she works there in the morning. I don’t know. She has a second job now.”

Finn hated that he knew she got a second job because it meant she was overworking herself. She already didn’t get enough sleep when she just worked at the bakery, but to add in a second job would make it worse.

“What do you mean?”

“She called me at three in a panic and didn’t sound good. When I got there, she was outside, wearing a shirt and sweatpants, freezing cold. After a while, I got the information out, and she told me that her electricity and water got turned off,” Finn explained. “Thinking back to the last week, she was not wanting to hang out in the afternoons and said she had a project going on, but it makes sense that she got a second job.”

“And you didn’t know that?”

Finn shook his head. “I didn’t, and I really wish I did, but that’s in the past now, and all I can do is make it better in the future. Make it better now.”

“Good.”

Before any of them could say anything more, they heard a little scream.

“Daddy!” Charlotte yelled.

Her voice was scratchy and hoarse, like she was about to lose it. Finn grimaced and started walking toward her.

It didn’t take long for them to walk into the nursery. Charlotte was lying on her back.

“Hello, my little cupcake,” Finn said as he lowered the railing on the side.

Charlotte had tears in her eyes, and Finn quickly picked her up and held her close.

“Shhh. It’s okay,” Finn whispered in her ear. “Everything’s gonna be okay. You’re safe.”

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