Page 85 of Jasper

His lips brush my forehead. “Good girl.”

He undresses me carefully, peeling away the layers of my work clothes with slow, reverent movements. The cool air prickles over my bare skin as he wipes me down with soft baby wipes, the scent of baby powder curling around me like a lullaby.

The diaper crinkles loudly as he lifts my hips and slides it under me. When the tabs are fastened, snug and secure, I wriggle a little, adjusting to the soft bulk between my thighs. I don’t know why I always find it comforting, but I do.

Next he dresses me in the softest pajamas I’ve ever felt. Baby pink with white stars and a sleepy bear embroidered on the chest. The long sleeves hug my arms, and the matching pants fit perfectly over my diaper. He adds fuzzy socks and then gathers me into his arms again.

“Better?” he whispers.

I nod, already deep into Little Space. “Mhm. So much better.”

He carries me across the yard to the main house, the stars twinkling above us, the air cool against my cheeks. My diaper rustles with every step, loud and obvious, and I bury my face in his chest.

“Hey,” he says softly. “No one’s going to blink. You’re safe. Always safe with me.”

When we reach the dining room, Jasper doesn’t even bother setting a plate in front of me. He keeps it close to him, cutting the food into little bites and feeding them to me one at a time. The others are chatting like nothing’s out of the ordinary. Ember sips juice from a bottle, and Rowie tells a story about something funny she saw on TV.

And me?

I rest my head on Jasper’s shoulder between bites, drifting.

Loved.

Protected.

His.

* * *

Three weeks.

It’s been three whole weeks since I started working at the coffee shop, and every single day I’ve come home with sore feet, caffeine in my veins, and a full heart. Jasper drives me to and from every shift, waits nearby the entire time, and never once complains. Not even when I get a little cranky or take forever to clock out.

Today feels different, though.

He keeps glancing at me on the drive home, a secret tucked behind his smirk.

“What?” I ask, smiling suspiciously.

He just squeezes my thigh. “You’ll see. I have a surprise for you.”

That’s all he says. And now I’m squirming with curiosity by the time we pull onto the gravel drive. When we park, he climbs out quickly and hurries to my side, pulling the door open and holding his hand out.

“Come on, rainbow.”

The sparkle in his eyes makes my heart thump. I take his hand, letting him lead me across the property, past the main house, past the pool and playground, and toward the garden beds I’ve been neglecting a little too much since the accident. The doctor says my energy will eventually return, but I’d like it to happen sooner rather than later, before all my plants die. Although from the looks of it, someone has been helping keep them maintained and weeded. And honestly, that doesn’t really surprise me. I have a feeling it might be Theo, but then again, it’s possible it’s Jasper, too.

And then I see it.

I freeze mid-step. My breath catches in my throat.

There, nestled beside the garden, is my camper.

But it’s not the same weather-beaten, broken-down RV I once lived in.

It’s brand new.

Freshly painted in a soft, dreamy pink, with white and purple daisies scattered across the sides like little bursts of sunshine. There’s an adorable striped awning stretched out over two pastel-pink Adirondack chairs, and a miniature white picket fence surrounds it like a fairytale yard. Inside the fence, there are potted flowers, a little birdhouse, and a welcome mat shaped like a cloud.

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