Page 49 of Kiren

“Daddy?” I turned in his arms so I could see him in the pale shadows of the lamplight. “Are we falling in love?”

“I am, baby. I am.”

I blinked hard. “Me, too.” I gulped. “But how is that possible? Have we been together long enough?”

“Baby, when it’s meant to be, both parties know. They just know.”

“Like magic?”

“Yes. Just like magic.” He leaned in and kissed me on the lips his hands going slowly down my back, over every ridge, wrinkle and valley. I only felt his fingers on my good skin, but the pressure was everywhere, the touch sinking in deep and healing. His hands came to rest on my ass, over the diaper.

I squirmed closer to him as he broke the kiss. “Then it’s not too soon to say I love you?”

“For me? No. I love you, Kiren. There’s no question.”

“I love you, Daddy.”

15

Max

The night Kiren showed me his scars was the first night we didn’t make love.

We hadn’t talked yet about going all the way. About penetration. Kiren was no virgin, I knew that much. But the moment for us had to be just right. He seemed to know it, too.

For now, exploration of little/daddy dynamics was enough for us.

Honestly, I wanted to hold him to me all night and just bask in his beautiful heart and his little self.

He was warm and diapered and fit just right, one leg looped between mine.

I slept in a daze of happiness.

The next day, we went Christmas tree shopping. Kiren raced all over the lot looking for just the right tree.

“They all smell so good,” he said. Other people were around, so he left off the usual “daddy” from his sentences.

He inspected each tree. It took forever but I didn’t care. We had all afternoon for this.

Kiren decided he liked certain trees because they were “big” or “needed love” or “were too skinny and we could fix them up.”

After a while, I realized he needed help making the final decision.

Christmas music played on speakers in the background. Kids ran around with fingers sticky from candy canes. The wind came up. Heavy clouds crowded the horizon.

“I think this one would look fantastic right by the window,” I said, picking a tree I’d seen him go back to more than twice.

“It would look good,” he agreed.

“Let’s get it. I can sense it needs us. It wants us to love it and decorate it and give it bright lights for the season.”

“Yes. This is the one.” He puffed out his chest as if he’d made the decision.

We grabbed the next salesperson we saw and bought it. The wind was really whipping up, so I asked to have it delivered. I wasn’t sure it would stay on top of my car with a simple knot of rope.

“We can deliver it tomorrow afternoon,” she said.

I paid, then turned to Kiren. “Looks like I know what we’re doing tomorrow. Hot chocolate and ornaments.”

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