Page 39 of Koa's Little Girl
“Always tell me if you’re upset by something. It’s better that we talk about something immediately than to stew about it. Will you promise to let me know if something bothers you?”
“Can I promise I’ll try?” she asked.
“Thank you, little girl. Now, let’s get you up! Do you want to keep your pacifier, or shall we put that back in the bunny basket?”
Giana looked at the pacifier in her hand and hesitated. She really didn’t want to give it back. Slowly, she held it out to him.
“You can keep it, Flame.” He laughed as she immediately popped it back into her mouth. “I’m glad you like it. Would you like to bring Jelly and Tiger into the dining room? I’ll put these things away until we need them again.”
When he set the basket on the dresser, she wondered, “How quickly will he need those things?” It must be soon. The basket was literally the only thing on his dresser in his military-tidy house.
“Oops!” she gasped as he lifted her off the bed and set her feet on the floor. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
He held on to her as she regained her balance. The padding between her legs created a slight challenge. When he released her waist to take her hand, she shifted her stuffies to one arm and clung to him for stability. Her daddy walked slowly with her down the hallway. The rocking steps made her feel littler than ever before.
After escorting her to the table, Koa helped her sit down. The diaper bunched under her bottom. It was a constant reminder that she could be little here. Giana played happily with her stuffies as he brought everything to the table.
“That’s everything,” he announced, setting the last dish down.
“Daddy. I can’t eat without a shirt,” she told him seriously. Her mother had always required her brother and dad to be fully covered at the table.
“I’ve got you, Flame.” He gently tugged a towel-like item with a circle opening in the middle over her head. It draped over her chest and back, concealing her skin.
She ran her hand over the fabric and smiled. It was soft and fluffy against her skin. “I like this.”
“I’m glad.” Koa dropped a kiss on the top of her head. He plucked her stuffies from her hands and drew another chair close to her for her friends before sitting down.
He filled a divided plate for her that kept all her food from touching. He even stopped and cut her chicken into bite-size pieces before setting it in front of her. “Eat, Flame. I know you’re hungry.”
Giana picked up her fork immediately and stabbed a piece of the diced fruit. Popping it into her mouth, she discovered it was a piece of apple, not the pear she’d expected. “This isn’t from a can, is it?” she mumbled as she crunched the tidbit.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, little girl. And, yes. It is fresh. I won’t eat that mushy processed stuff. Do you like it?”
She swallowed carefully and answered, “It’s yummy. And you put all sorts of fruit in here. Look. Here’s a pear. I thought that’s what I put in my mouth.”
Poking around at the fruit salad as she chewed her newest find, Giana scrunched her nose up. A cherry. She didn’t like cherries. Did she have to eat it?
“You don’t like those?” he guessed.
Giana shook her head and answered, “Not at all.”
“Perfect. More for me. Want to feed me that one and I’ll avoid dishing anymore up for you?”
Happily, Giana stabbed the offending fruit and held it out to her daddy. He made everything so much better. As he playfully gobbled it off her fork, her heart skipped a beat. She’d never cared this much about anyone. She loved him.
Smiling down at her plate, she took a second to savor that realization. She loved Koa.
“Are you okay, Flame?” he asked, covering her hand with his.
“The absolute best I’ve ever been. Thank you, Daddy, for saving me from the red yucky monster.”
“Any time, little girl. Any time.”
CHAPTER 13
By the time she finished work the next day, Giana felt awful. The scratchy throat she’d attributed to the smoke from yesterday’s major fire had gotten worse as the day progressed. Now each time she swallowed, her throat felt like broken glass. Her hoarse cough wasn’t helping it.
