Page 46 of Her Dragon Daddy Disaster
“And the answer to your question,” he said, turning on the tap and putting some soap on a sponge, “is because I trust you.”
I was silent. Beside me, Jakub chomped away happily on his cereal.
The enormity of the information Levi had just dropped belied the casual way he did it. It implied a huge level of trust existed between us. A level that I didn’t know how to handle.
“I can help with that,” I said, pointing at the sink, knowing full well it was a lame change of topic.
“Eat your fruit,” Levi said, winking back.
“Yes, sir,” I said with a mock salute, crunching down on some juicy strawberry slices.
“Dad?”
I stiffened at the word, so unused to it was I. In the sink, dishes clanged together unnaturally loud.
“Yes?” Levi asked a moment later, his voice tight.
“Are you really my daddy?”
“Yes, little dude, I’m really your daddy,” he said after a glance at me to ensure it was still okay.
I wasn’t about to back away now. For a moment there, a strange feeling of completeness had come over me as we all occupied the kitchen together for breakfast. I’d eaten meals with my parents and Jake before, which was “with family,” but this … this was different.
That waswithfamily. This wasmyfamily.
A subtle but oh-so important distinction.
“Why haven’t I seen you before?” Jake asked. “Did you not like me?”
“No, no, it’s not that,” Levi said, flicking his hands free of water and rushing to Jake’s side.
I, meanwhile, was blinking furiously as emotions overwhelmed me.
“Where were you?”
“I was here,” Levi said softly. “I’ve been away.”
“Oh.”
“But no more,” he said with a fiercely protective hug. “I promise you that, Jake. I’ll never be gone again. If you need me, Iwillbe there for you. I promise, okay?”
“Okay!” And just like that, he went back to eating his cereal with all the horrible coordination of a child.
Levi looked up at me.
I gave him a very hard, very stern look that could only be interpreted one way.
Don’t you dare fucking disappoint him.
Chapter Twenty
Sarah
“… Thirty! Ready or not, here I come!” I called, taking my hands off my eyes, peering around the apartment for any obvious signs of hidden people, big or little.
The sound of a giggle from down the hallway drew my attention and a smile.
“Hmm, I wonder where everyone could be?” I said loudly enough to be heard. “They seem to have just disappeared!”
