Page 43 of Maddox

"Miss Warner, there's a Mr. Rourke here to see you."

Already? I’d been daydreaming and not packed anything. Suddenly realizing I still had my popsie in my hand, I tugged it out, tossing it by the sink. "You can send him up," I said quickly, my heart fluttering. Daddy was here. I needed to put him on the allowed list.

I opened my door before he could knock, and the moment I saw him standing there, strong and solid, something in me crumbled. Without thinking, I threw myself into his arms.

"Daddy," I whispered, burying my face against his chest.

His arms came around me instantly, holding me close. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I panicked. I don’t want to be here. I want to take Mr. Snuffles and Henry”—the bear—“and eat dunked sandwiches when it’s raining,” I finished breathlessly.

I felt the tension bleed out of Daddy’s arms and snuggled tighter, knowing I’d made him happy.

“It sounds perfect, princess,” and he bent his head to brush his lips on my head. I half-wished he’d caught my lips but maybe I would think about that later.

Maddox lifted me easily, carrying me back into my apartment and kicking the door closed behind us. "Where's your bag, princess? Let's get you and your friends packed up."

"In my bedroom," I murmured, resting my head against his shoulder. I felt myself sinking deeper into my Little space, the stress of the day melting away now that Daddy was here to take care of me.

He carried me to my bedroom, where my half-packed bag lay open on the bed with Mr. Snuggles. "Is this everything you want to bring?" he asked, surveying the toiletries. No clothes.

I paused. " Clothes, and my special blanket. It's in the closet." I pointed to where I kept the soft purple throw that had been my comfort item since my rescue.

Daddy set me down gently on the bed and retrieved the blanket, carefully adding it to my bag. Then he opened the dresser drawers and pulled out some stuff, but I wasn’t concentrating. In my head I had something else by the kitchen sink. Something important. "Anything else, princess? Your toothbrush? Hairbrush?"

I stared at him, desperate for him to say it so I wouldn’t have to, and I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. His eyes narrowed and he looked around the empty room. “Anything else?”

I shook my head, but I changed it to a nod.

He looked around again. “In here?”

I shook my head quite violently, and he walked into my living room. It was just about empty. He walked into the kitchen and I knew he’d seen it when he stopped and slowly turned. “Your binkie?”

“It’s a popsie,” I said indignantly, forgetting any embarrassment.

“Of course,” he said like it was no big deal, and slipped it in his pocket. He checked the rest of the apartment, his calm efficiencymade me feel protected, cared for. When everything was packed, he zipped up the bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Ready to go home with Daddy?" he asked softly.

Home. The word sent a flutter through my chest. "Yes, please," I whispered.

When Daddy called his place "home," I felt a warm, happy feeling spreading inside me. As he carried my bag and kept his arm protectively around my shoulders, I couldn't help but feel safe, even though I felt a little smaller and more fragile today. I knew I was slipping into my Little space again.

"Did you eat lunch, princess?" Daddy asked gently as we walked down to the car.

I shook my head, looking up into his eyes. "No, Daddy. Tammy came and she was mean, and I forgot."

I saw Daddy's face tighten a bit when I mentioned Tammy. "Mean? What did she say?"

My lip quivered a bit, remembering. "She pretended to say sorry, but she just wanted me to get her VIP tickets to Kingdom. And she said I changed and wasn't fun anymore. And she made fun of Henry."

Daddy's jaw tightened, but his voice stayed soft and kind. "That wasn't very nice of her, was it? Well, Daddy thinks you're wonderful just the way you are. And Henry is a very handsome bear."

I smiled up at him, holding Henry close. "Thank you, Daddy."

Once we were in the car, Daddy made sure my seatbelt was nice and snug before we started driving home. I watched the world go by outside the window, feeling quieter than usual.

"What's on your mind, princess?" Daddy asked, his voice soft.

I played with Henry's ear, feeling a little worried. "I'm scared about seeing Anna later."

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