Page 14 of Tied to Hope
Kalisha smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Davis. My secret is pressing them through the potato ricer several times to get that smooth texture.”
“Sounds like a lot of work,” Brie replied, taking another forkful. “But it definitely seems worth it. Delicious!”
The table suddenly became silent while everyone enjoyed the extravagant meal.
After several minutes, Nyah spoke up. “Do you have pictures of your newest dog, Captain?”
“We sure do,” Candy answered, digging through her purse for her phone. She passed it to Nyah. “Here is our newest fur baby.”
“Aww…she’s so cute!” Nyah cooed, passing the phone to Brie so she could see.
“The big one is Rosko and the small one is Annie,” Candy explained.
Brie immediately noticed both dogs had the telltale signs of gray around their eyes. “How old are your pups?”
“They’re both seniors,” Candy answered, looking over at Captain. “We feel like that’s our calling. Giving older dogs that no one wants happiness at the end of their lives is important to both of us.
Brie brought her hand to her chest, exclaiming, “Oh, my goodness. That’s so wonderful!”
Captain grunted, his expression somber. “Most dogs with any hint of gray get euthanized because everyone is looking for a puppy. The older dogs don’t stand a chance.”
“That’s so sad…” Brie said.
“It is because most of these older dogs have been left behind because of the owner’s death or the family having to relocate. These poor dogs have no idea what they’ve done wrong and their hearts are broken.”
Candy looked at Captain tenderly. “I love that Captain has vowed to keep adopting them.”
He smiled at his pet. “It’s a simple way for the two of us to make a positive difference in the world.”
“Well, I think it’s wonderful!” Brie exclaimed as she handed the phone to Sir.
Brie saw Mr. Gallant take Ena’s hand and kiss it at the end of the meal. She had noticed he’d done something similar halfway through the meal when he had reached out and squeezed her hand.
Both times, Ena had looked into his eyes and smiled. It was so incredibly sweet.
“Girls,” Mr. Gallant said, addressing his daughters. “It’s time to clear the table, but don’t bother doing the dishes tonight. Your mother and I will attend to them later. Since our meal has run later than usual, I want to make sure you have plenty of time to finish your homework.”
After the table was cleared, both girls headed upstairs.
Brie shook her head in disbelief. “You’ve done such a wonderful job with your children. They really pitched in tonight and seemed genuinely happy to help with the meal.”
Ena smiled. “Since they were little, we’ve stressed how important each member is to the well-being of our family. It’s something we all take seriously.”
When Hope began to fuss, Sir got up and brought her to the table. Now that Kalisha and Nyah were gone, Brie felt comfortable to be more open.
Looking at Hope sitting on his knee, she confessed, “Raising a child as a practicing D/s couple is easy at Hope’s age, but I’ll admit I’m concerned about carving out that time for Sir when she’s older. Like you, we want Hope to decide on her sexual preferences based on her own needs and desires, and not because she’s grown up aware that we’re in the lifestyle.”
Mr. Gallant sat back in his chair and nodded. “While your childrenmustcome first, it is imperative that a D/s couple set time aside daily to keep their relationship vibrant and healthy.”
“But how can you do it without your girls figuring it out? Especially as they get older?”
“We planned things out when they were young by setting up a strict schedule in our home. To the outside world, and to our girls, it seems completely normal. They head upstairs for homework at eight and need to be in bed by nine. By ten o’clock, we’re free to reconnect with each other.”
“How do you keep your toys hidden when children are naturally curious?” Baron asked, clearly intrigued.
“Let me show you,” Mr. Gallant said. He stood up, inviting them to follow.
As was his habit, he placed his hand on the small of Ena’s back as they walked up the stairs, but Brie noticed that Mr. Gallant pressed two of his fingers against her back rather than his entire palm.
