Page 69 of Santa Daddies
“Let’s get going. I’m ready to get this date on the road.”
Thirty minutes later we walk through the gates of the Merry Land of Lights. It’s one of the premier tourist spots in New Roughoak. I’d never considered coming without a Daddy to enjoy it with me. Part of me knew I’d feel lonely seeing all the families and couples making their way through the trails.
But I don’t have to be sad anymore. I have my own person to spend time with.
Daddy leads us down a tunnel lined with various colors of lights. They flash and make waves with each step we take. Soft holiday music plays through speakers, adding to the perfect vibes.
At the end of the tunnel, there are four different ways to go. All of them connect eventually, though the first one you choose is important too. I look to Daddy for an answer to the unspoken question. It’s his job to make the decision because he’s the boss. It’s my job to be cute because I’m his cookie.
“Let’s go to the Northern Lights. I’m curious what that means,” he says with a slight tug of my hand.
It’s natural for me to fall in line with him. I don’t even question it since I know we’ll have a good time. There’s anothershort tunnel of lights, then a dark black cloak covers an entry. When we push it aside we’re basically blinded by brightness.
“What the heck?” I mutter as I cover my eyes.
Daddy puts a hand to my back, guiding us both out of the path of the door. It takes me a minute to adjust to the change. When I do, there’s no stopping my gasp.
It’s beautiful.
String lights hang from the sky and create a striking view. It’s like a forest of beaming white, with enough space between to navigate through it. As I stare, people weave in and out, moving the vines as they chase one another, stop for selfies, and generally take in the splendor of the exhibit.
“It’s so pretty, Daddy,” I whisper.
His hand on my back shifts to my waist. “It is, isn’t it? I’m already glad we came .”
I turn to see if he’s being honest. Words don’t mean much, but most people have shitty poker faces. At least they do in my experience.
Daddy isn’t faking anything.
Instead, he’s smiling at me. It’s nearly as blinding as the lights are. The man is too dang good looking. How am I going to enjoy these lights with a sexy distraction walking beside me?
“Can we walk through? I want pictures.”
His hand stays on my waist as he leads us away from the sidewall. One minute we’re observers. The next, we’re actively participating.
I giggle as the strands shift from our presence. It creates another level of whimsy to move through it all. It’s by far one of the best moments of my life.
Turning to face him, I place my hands on Daddy’s chest. The cold isn’t as bad in here. Between that and the lights, I feel toasty.
“Picture time? I want a memory from tonight.”
His phone appears, and he turns me around to be right in front of him. Our heights look comical in the selfie mode of his camera. I stare at us, noting the differences, but also seeing how great we look together.
“Say ‘cookie’ on three. One… two… three…”
“Cookie,” we chant in unison.
He snaps a couple of quick shots after, those more candid. I’d be embarrassed if he didn’t pull the phone to his face and scroll through them with a look of adoration. The man clearly likes what he sees.
Same, Daddy. Same!
“Let’s keep moving. I want you to be able to see it all,” he tells me once he tucks his phone away.
We weave through more of the vines before reaching the end. Another doorway leads to a short hall. This time we’re given three options. We choose the magical fantasy world, which winds up being filled with lights in various shapes of fantasy creatures. Everything from dragons to gryphons and even a unicorn.
Each one is a work of art. Daddy has me pose next to a couple of them when he notices I’m especially entranced by their beauty.
From there, we take the path to their royal lane. This one is just as interesting with its storybook depictions. It’s like the fairytales have come to life. I love everything about it. The boy in me lights up watching the kids react to the exhibits while also being wildly happy to be here too.
