Page 164 of Daddy's Naughty List

If I was going to try being one, then I needed to learn to think like one. Cheek kisses were important, so I gave Rhett one of those. Being cute or a brat was very important. I liked being cute better, so I made my eyes wider and smiled bigger.

Oh, and I didn’t have to sound like a grownup since I wasn’t going to be one.

“Can I have a truck, Santa?” That was easier to say than Daddy. I’d practiced but it always gave me a tummy ache. “I like sitting on your lap, Santa.”

Yes. That was a very nice word.

Santas were happy and smiley and safe.

“I like cuddling you.” Santa brought his hand up and stroked my head with his fuzzy glove. “And yes. You’ve been a very good boy, so a truck with lights and a trampoline would be wonderful presents.”

Yay.

“Bouncing is fun.” It made everyone laugh and smile, and when they fell, they laughed more. “I didn’t get hurt bouncing.”

Well, my feelings had gotten hurt but I’d talked to Dr. Miles about that.

He said feelings got hurt and that was okay, and we’d talked a lot about why it’d made me so upset. He was a helpful talker and hadn’t even gotten frustrated when it’d taken me a long,longtime to be able to talk about the Littles.

Dr. Miles was a Little with a Daddy, but he knew that some stuff was hard.

I was ready to talk about being Little, though.

Well, mostly talk about it.

I was going to be very good at talking around it.

“I’m glad you were safe bouncing. I wouldn’t want to bring you a present that made you get hurt.” Santa frowned. “I’d feel sad, so you’re going to bounce safely, right? And only when you have a nice grown-up person around?”

Oh.

He knew I wasn’t supposed to be the grownup.

“Yes. I have a special grownup that takes good care of me and he’ll watch me. He’s so nice like you that I’m going to call him Santa too.” Yes. That was a much nicer word. “Because grown-up take-carer people bring presents and surprises like you do.”

The Littles said so… so it had to be true.

I’d just gotten a defective caretaker person the first time I’d tried.

But lemons happened… Dr. Miles said so and my Santa-man had said so too but he’d used lots of big, naughty words.

“He sounds like a wonderful person.” Santa smiled as he ran his hand over my head again. “I think Santa is a good word for a special caretaker. And looking at my nice and naughty list, I’m sure he’s on the nice list and will take good care of you.”

“He is.” He was big nice and always took good care of me. “Even when he forgets his patience it’s because he wants to take good care of me faster.”

Santa tried not to laugh. “I can see how that would be hard, but you sound like a very good helper to your Santa.”

“I’m the best helper.” I’d even been a good helper elf. “He loves me a lot.”

Giving Santa a big hug, I snuggled into him, ready for him to be my Santa and not the mall Santa. “I’m being brave again, so you have to reward me later, Santa.”

When he snickered, he was my Santa and I got a big hug, not a careful one. “Yes, a big reward when we go to bed later.”

He was so smart… he knew he was my Santa and not the pretend one.

“I really want a trampoline, Santa.” Whispering softly, I kissed his cheek before I went back to snuggling. “I’ll be safe and it’ll make me happy and you’ll smile.”

’Cause he’d wanted to buy me toys for a long time.

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