Page 21 of Their Little Foursome

“Yes! I’m starving! Daddy, come on!”

Instead of obeying, the only thing her Daddy moved was his right eyebrow. Flutters instantly filled her tummy. “Ooops, I meant to say, Daddy, will you please join me and Sadie for breakfast? They have pancakes!”

His eyebrow lowered as she remembered her manners. “I’d be quite honored to escort two lovely Little ladies to breakfast.”

Sadie moved back to allow him to exit the room and after he snagged Lori’s backpack and slung it over his shoulder, he joined them in the hallway. Lori took her Daddy’s hand as well, walking between the two as they made their way to the cafeteria.

“Oooo…”

The exclamation was soft and yet spoke volumes as Lori stood as frozen as the statue her Daddy had requested earlier. Every school she’d ever attended had had a cafeteria and she’d even eaten at a few Luby’s in her life. But what she saw before her was unlike any cafeteria she’d ever seen. She didn’t see the tables surrounded by chairs. She didn’t notice the trays being held or the choices of food being made. Her entire focus was on the Littles. There wasn’t just one or two, or even a dozen. Littles were everywhere. Some were holding each other’s hands, some holding the hands of Bigs. Some were sitting in chairs that appeared larger than life to Lori, but it was the ones sitting in actual high chairs that had her breath catch in her throat.

“Sweetpea, are you okay?”

Lori shook her head as she looked up to find her Daddy looking down, his eyes showing concern. “There are… Littles.”

Her Daddy laughed and a giggle had Lori remembering that Sadie was on her other side.

“I told you so,” Sadie said with a huge grin.

“But they…. There are so many.” The awe in her voice was palpable.

“I know. Isn’t it awesome! Oh, Hayleigh, Haven, over here!”

Lori watched as two girls turned at the sound of Sadie’s voice and immediately broke into smiles as they waved and began to make their way over to join them.

“Don’t worry, you’re gonna love them,” Sadie assured Lori, and when the other two were standing before them, Sadie introduced her. “Guys, this is Lori, she’s new and soooo much fun. Lori, this is Hayleigh. Her Daddy is Chef Connor who makes the best pancakes in the world. And this is Haven, her Daddy is Master Colt and he builds all sorts of things.”

Lori didn’t really have time to be anxious or scared as she was swept up in hugs and compliments on her dress and her pigtails. Before she knew what had happened, she was no longer standing outside the cafeteria looking in. Instead, she was one Little in a sea of others, a tray in her hand and watching as it was filled with dishes, utensils and a glass of strawberry milk. It wasn’t until she was asked if she wanted whipped cream or sprinkles that Lori remembered her Daddy.

“Ummm, I-I… is that okay, Daddy?”

“It is on special days,” her Daddy assured her. “And I’d have to say today is one of those days, wouldn’t you?”

Looking around her, seeing her new friends smiling and waiting for her to make her choice, she had to nod. “It’s the bestest day ever! Both, please, with lots and lots of sprinkles!”

Once her stack of pancakes had been crowned with whipped cream and an abundance of sprinkles, the group of Littles followed her Daddy to a table. Lori was torn between excitement and anxiety when he set down his tray in order to pull a high chair closer to the table. She already looked different than the others. Sadie, Hayleigh and Haven all wore black and purple plaid skirts and white blouses which Lori figured was some sort of school uniform. She was also pretty sure not a single one of them had ever napped in a diaper. Would the other girls decide she was too much of a baby to be included in their circle? Before the panic had a chance to take hold, Haven stepped in.

“My Daddy made different kinds,” she said as Gordon attempted to slide the tray free. “For this one, the tray goes up and over the back.” She demonstrated how to release a catch beneath the tray and lifted it up and over until it rested against the back of the chair. “That way, you can either pull the chair up to the table without a tray or pull it back over when Lori is seated.”

“Your Daddy is a very talented man,” Gordon said as he ran a hand along the arm of the highchair. “Did he make the crib in Lori’s nursery? It’s beautiful, isn’t it, sweetpea?”

Lori felt her eyes growing wide and her face growing hot even as she nodded, startling when she felt someone touch her hand.

Looking over, she discovered Sadie leaning toward her. “Look around. There are lots of lots of high chairs and lots of littler Littles.”

A quick glance around the large room confirmed Sadie’s words, and when her Daddy held out his hands and said, “Let’s get you seated so you can eat before your pancakes get cold,” she was able to nod and lift her arms.

Lori found herself flying once more and was settled in the highchair before she could blink. Seeing nothing but smiles as the others pulled out chairs to sit, she relaxed and let herselfenjoy the fact she was seated in the biggest, coolest chair she’d never even imagined existed. Swinging her feet, she waited until her Daddy cut her pancakes into manageable bite-sized pieces, and once she took the first bite, she groaned.

“Hayleigh, your Daddy is a really good cook,” Lori said.

“Wait until lunch. He makes the best mac ’n’ cheese and dino nuggets, too,” Hayleigh said before shoving a rather large forkful of pancakes into her mouth, using a finger to catch a drip of syrup before it fell on her blouse.

Shooting a glance to her Daddy, Lori smiled when he simply shook his head, removed Hayleigh’s napkin from off her tray and gently wiped first her chin and then her fingers.

“Thanks,” Hayleigh said as if it was nothing at all to be attended to by someone other than her own Daddy.

“You’re welcome,” Gordon said, cutting into his own double stack.

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