Page 53 of Tinley's Daddy
“I finished.” She pushed the bowl of bananas over to my side of the island.
“Nice job, Tinley.” I took the bowl. “Why don’t you pour us each a glass of juice?”
“Okay.” She hopped off the stool and skipped to the refrigerator. I didn’t think she even noticed. She yanked it open with a huff and stared at the contents for a while. She pulled out the orange juice and apple juice. “Which one do you want?”
“Orange, please.”
“Glasses?” she asked.
I pointed to the counter. She stood on her toes to reach it. The everyday glasses were on the bottom shelf, but the second shelf had a variety of plastic sippy cups. I hadn’t seen them before. Tinley stared at them. She stretched up but couldn’t quite reach it.
“You need some help.” I wiped my hands on a towel. “Which one do you want?”
“The Batman one.” She pointed. I handed it to her. “Oh, do these belong to someone?” She handed it back.
“It’s okay. I think they are Tyler’s, but you can use it.” I took down a glass for me. “They might be something Kyler bought for Rayna. She’s obsessed with ninjas and Marvel comics.”
“Really?” Tinley giggled. “Is she a tomboy?”
“Not really. She’s a middle, so she doesn’t like frilly things, but she’s girly.” Rayna was unique. All littles were, really.
“How old is her little?” Tinley poured the juice and carried them one at a time back to the table.
“She’s twelve most of the time.” I flipped the pancakes and added the bananas.
“I’m sure she could have finished school in Vegas.” Tinley climbed back on the barstool. “Why did she leave?”
“I don’t really know, but I have a theory.” I turned and leaned against the counter. “I think she wanted Kyler to come after her or tell her to stay.”
“So instead he buys a building and watches her.” Tinley grew animated. “It’s kind of romantic if it weren’t super creepy.”
“Hopefully, the charade will be over soon.” I went back to the stove. “Kyler isn’t subtle or discreet.”
I finished the pancakes and pulled the bacon out of the oven. I brought everything over to the table.
“This looks yummy.” Tinley hopped off the stool and slid into a chair at the table. I sat across from her.
She picked up the sippy cup with two hands and took a drink. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
She set the cup down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“What?”
I handed her a napkin and couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off my face.
She took the napkin and dabbed her lips with the corner.
We both laughed.
We fellinto a rhythm for the next week and a half. We made breakfast together and then Tinley would have a session with Maria. She would immediately write in her journal after each session. Sometimes for a few minutes. A couple times she wrote for hours. Then she’d come into the office where I worked and sketched on her pad. She wouldn’t let me see what she was drawing. I suspected it was several versions of me.
She let her little out as the day wore on. A high-pitched Joshie would signal she was ready for me to stop work and give her all my attention.
I was happy to oblige. I enjoyed spending time with little Tinley.
She’d make each of us a sandwich. We walked the property and talked about how I grew up. How she grew up. She was super talkative during those outings, and it became my second favorite time of the day. My favorite was the middle of the night, when somehow Tinley would wiggle over the line of demarcation in our bed and cuddle up next to me.
We never spoke about what she went through while taken and I never asked. I figured she got enough of that in her daily talks with Maria.
