Page 26 of Daddy's Little Fighter
“Still tired?” he asked.
She hummed in agreement, and Noah couldn’t help but chuckle. Frankie was so cute when she was sleepy.
“Let’s go home,” he mumbled and picked her up.
CHAPTER 11
FRANKIE
Frankie stood in front of the door once again with her shoes on. Was she really going to do this? This was the third time she had stood in front of the door, ready to go out, but not able to make herself. Was she ever going to have the courage to go outside by herself, where anyone could see her?
Taking a step forward, she reached her hand out to grab the handle, but stopped herself.
“Frankie?” Daddy’s voice was gentle.
Frankie turned around quickly, putting her hands behind her back. “I wasn’t doing anything!” she shouted.
Her heart beating faster as the seconds went by, Frankie continued to look at Daddy. He was supposed to be in a meeting right now. What was he doing out there?
“I wasn’t doing anything,” she repeated. “I was just putting my shoes on since my feet were a little cold.”
Frankie immediately felt bad for lying, tears pooling in her eyes. Going outside had been on her mind a lot more, and she didn’t know how to bring it up to Daddy. Or if she would ever bring it up to him. What if she said something to him and then never walked out by herself?
She didn’t want to disappoint Daddy.
No.
She couldn’t do that.
Daddy raised his right eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest. “Were you?”
The tears ran down her face, and she shook her head. “No, I wasn’t. I put them on for a reason. I’m sorry I lied. I just didn’t want to get your hopes up.”
“Hopes up for what?”
Frankie looked at the ground. She was going to have to tell him now. There was no way out of it.
“Frankie?”
“I don’t like it when you call me Frankie,” she mumbled, trying to change the subject.
“I don’t call you Frankie often. I know you don’t like it, but I want you to know that I am serious right now. What were you worried about getting my hopes up for?” Daddy asked.
So much for trying to change the subject.
Daddy knelt in front of her, and she looked at him with wide eyes. She hadn’t even heard him walk up to her. How would have it was she?
“You can tell Daddy anything,” he gently said as he cupped her face with his hands.
“I thought about going out,” she whispered. “I thought about opening up that door and walking outside. I put my shoes on in case I actually wanted to do it, but I could only stare at it.”
Disappointment.
That was what Frankie was. An utter disappointment. She was messed up and didn’t know how to fix it.
Frankie didn’t know whether she wanted to fix it or not.
She loved being inside where it was safe, and she didn’t have to worry about anyone looking at her weirdly. She liked being safe and having stability, but with the possibility of goingoutside, that would get taken away. Even with Daddy with her, she still wouldn’t be as okay out there.
