Page 13 of Accepting Love

“Really?” I glance at her as I take out two slices of bread. “How often do you do that?”

She sighs. “Zane…”

“Tell me, Little one.” I really do want to know. “When did you last make a sandwich?”

She purses her lips.

“Mmm.” I bet she barely knows where the bread is kept, and I’m good with that.

“Two slices of cheese?” I ask as I settle one perfectly on the bread.

“Yes, please,” she murmurs.

I add a pile of turkey and mayo before ripping off a leaf of lettuce and folding it in half. “Crusts?”

When she doesn’t respond, I lift my gaze to find her glaring at me again. “I’m not two.”

I set her sandwich on a plate and slide it toward her. “Are you sure?”

More glaring. It doesn’t have a lot of umph behind it. I’m trying not to laugh. “What do you like to drink?”

“Water.”

I turn toward the cabinets and open several before I find the glasses. They are perfectly lined up. A row of clear glass ones and a row of colorful plastic ones. I grab a pink one, carry it to the fridge, add a few cubes of ice and then water.

When I set it on the island in front of her, she’s staring at me. “This is weird,” she admits.

I lean on my elbows next to her. “Don’t let it be weird.”

“You showed up here a few hours ago and now…”

“And now I’m staying,” I tell her without hesitation. “Let me get to know you, Little one. Figure this out with me. I know in my heart it will be worth it.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Instinct.”

She plays with her napkin, not touching her sandwich. “My head is spinning.”

I lift her chin with one finger. “I know. But let me in, Little one. Let me show you how good we can be together.” I don’t have a solid explanation as to why I know this is what I want, but I do all the way to my soul. I’ve wanted Hannah for a long time. It took everything in me not to pressure her. But all bets are off now. I’m not going anywhere.

She nods toward the sandwich fixings. “Aren’t you going to have one?”

“Yes. I wanted to get you settled first. Will you start eating?”

She lifts her sandwich and takes a bite, swallowing it before she speaks again. “I don’t know how I can eat, but I’m hungry.”

“Good. Eat.” I slide around to make myself a sandwich, using the same ingredients as hers. When she reaches for her water, I glance up. “Two hands, Little one.”

She hesitates, freezing in place, staring at the water.

I’m challenging her. We have to figure out our dynamic. I’d like her to know she can count on me to take care of her. That starts now. It starts small. I’ll build on it.

Finally, she brings her other hand to the cup and lifts it. “Yes, Sir,” she whispers before taking a drink.

My heart is racing. I’m so pleased it’s hard to keep from grinning. This needs to be our normal though. “Good girl.”

I know being Little is natural to her. It’s instinctive. But she’s never had a Daddy before, so it’s going to be weird at first.

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