Page 55 of Daddy's Muse
His mouth tightened. “People alwayssaythey want to talk, but most of the time it’s to satisfy their own curiosity. You don’t need to answer right now. Actually… why don’t I keep this while you eat? That way you’re not distracted.”
I shrugged. It wasn’t like I couldn’t get it back later.
While I ate, he poured me more juice and leaned casually against the counter. “You know, there are a few other things we should think about. You shouldn’t be walking across campus alone for a while, even in daylight. And maybe I should handle your email for now—just until you’re feeling steadier. That way you don’t have to read anything upsetting.”
I chewed slowly. “That… makes sense, I guess.”
He smiled like it was settled. “Good boy. I’ll drive you if you absolutelymustgo anywhere. But honestly?” He leaned down,brushing a kiss to the top of my head. “You’re safest right here with me.”
I nodded, because it felt true. Ithadbeen safer since last night.
I let him take my plate when I was done, my fingers curling around the warm mug of coffee he’d made without asking how I liked it—because somehow he already knew.
No one had ever… done this for me before. Not just making breakfast, but the wholething. The way he’d driven through the night to get me. The way he’d carried me inside like I was something fragile and precious. How he’d just… taken over, so I didn’t have to think about what came next.
People always said they cared, but itwasusually just words, or it came with conditions—do this for me, change this about yourself, and then I’ll stick around.
Pappa didn’t ask me to change. He just wanted to keep me safe. And maybe safety looked a little like him deciding where I went and who I spoke to, but wasn’t that what anyone would do if they really cared? If they saw how easily I could be hurt? Pappa must have been so scared last night. Staying with him would also make him feel better.
It was almost a relief to have him make the hard choices for me. My whole life, it had been me against… everything. Now, I had him.
And he said heneededto take care of me.
Needed…me.
I’d been lonely for as long as I could remember. Loneliness that had eaten at the edges of me until I was hollow. And now here was Pappa, filling every empty place, offering warmth and safety and someone to stand between me and the rest of the world.
If that meant I had to lean on him for a while—maybe longer than a while—then… maybe that wasn’t a bad thing at all.
Pappa smiled at me like I’d just handed him some great gift.
“I knew you’d understand,” he said, voice low and warm. “I have such a smart boy.”
His arm came around my shoulders, pulling me into his side until I was half-curled against him.
“You don’t have to do everything yourself anymore,” he murmured. His thumb brushed the side of my neck, slow and steady. “I’ll take care of you. Always.”
I swallowed. “You already do, Pappa.”
“That’s right,” he said, and there was something final in the way he said it, like the matter was settled. “You’ve proven you can trust me. Let me decide what’s best for you from now on, hm? No one’s going to keep you safe the way I can.”
And maybe he was right. Nobody had ever stood up for me, not really. Nobody had made the hard calls when I was too tired or scared to think straight. I’d been on my own for so long that the idea of letting someone else take over felt… like breathing out after holding my breath for years.
I leaned into him without even thinking about it. “Okay, Pappa,” I murmured.
* * *
Later in the day, Pappa crouched in front of me, producing a new little stuffed bunny from the bag he’d grabbed from his room. Its fur was soft and pale, with tiny stitched eyes and a smile that seemed almost alive.
“For you,” he said simply, holding it out.
I took it carefully, burying my face into its plush body. It smelled faintly of him—his scent lingering in the fibers—and Ifelt a warmth bloom in my chest. “Thank you,” I whispered, voice barely audible.
He leaned in, resting his forehead briefly against mine. “You’re welcome, baby.”
I clutched the bunny tighter, the edges of anxiety still lingering in my brain slowly softening under the weight of his attention. He continued through the day with little tasks: brushing my hair until it was free of knots, packing a small tray with snacks for me to graze on as I watched cartoons, and setting a water bottle within reach. Every movement felt protective, deliberate, and comforting.
At some point, I realized I hadn’t moved from the couch for almost an hour. I was too tired, too relieved, and too… content. No one had ever cared for me like this. No one had ever made decisions on my behalf or insisted that I rest or be safe.
