Page 70 of The Dom with the Kink Monsters

“Come here.” Ramsay lifted him out of the cart and pretended to fly him to a bench. “Let’s try them on to see if they fit.”

“Master,” Saya whispered as the boy stomped around in them, watching them light up. “What if the other children make fun of him? He’s only going to be with us for two weeks, but there’s the park. Then there’s preschool or daycare when he goes home.”

Master gave a one shouldered shrug. “Everyone gets made fun of for something. I don’t think other kids his age will even care. The way things are now, I doubt even the adults will say anything much. This isn’t the 1950s. If it happens, we’ll tell him how to deal with it or buy him new shoes – whichever he prefers.” He threw Spider’s other shoes in the cart and they headed for the front of the store.

At the checkout, the boy stared longingly at the candy bars, but said nothing.

“You want one of those?” Saya asked. Maybe letting him have chocolate was a bad idea before the drive home, but it was cute that he was too polite to say anything.

Master grabbed a chocolate bar and put it on the counter. “I’m getting a Butterfinger and I bet Auntie Saya will pick a Milky Way.”

The boy scanned the display, avid but looking confused. “I don’t know.”

“Are you allergic to anything?”

“No. Spencer is allergic to oranges, but not me.”

“Who’s Spencer?”

“My friend at daycare.”

“Mm.” Master threw another Milky Way onto the counter and picked Spider up. “I think you’ll like that one. If you don’t, I’ll eat the rest of it. We have to take your new shoes off for a minute so we can pay for them, okay buddy? We’ll put them right back on after.”

“Okay.”

Saya pulled the shoes off of Spider’s feet and the woman at the check-out smiled at him.

“You look like your daddy!”

*

“Goodnight.” Spider crawled into the little tent they’d set up in the living room without a backward glance.

“Oh, you’re going to bed now?” She and Master went over and crouched down to look inside.

The boy had slid between the sheets already and was arranging his bear and his dog to make sure they were tucked in.

“You don’t want a hug goodnight or a story or something?” Saya was at a loss. Her parents had been very demonstrative and she couldn’t remember ever going to bed without a hug and kiss. Bedtime had always been a big production. Spider didn’t seem to want anything from her.

“I’m not a baby anymore. I can put myself to bed.”

She and Master glanced at each other, and her heart broke a little.

“Can I have a hug at least? I won’t sleep well if I don’t get a hug.”

“You’re silly, Auntie Saya.” He crawled to her and gave her a hug.

“If she gets a hug and I don’t, I’m going to pout.” Master crossed his arms. The boy hugged him too.

“Don’t pout. No one wants to see that,” Spider told him sincerely.

Saya smothered a laugh and Master made a choking noise.

They wished him a good night and reminded him they’d be in their bedroom. Saya flipped on the light in the entryway so that the living room was vaguely illuminated.

The two of them retired to their room, closed and locked the door, then changed into the unfamiliar pajamas that they’d bought for this visit. The sight of Master’s broad chest rising out of the Homer Simpson PJ bottoms made her laugh.

“They’re not me?” He turned for her.

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