He was preparing the salad to go with the lasagna, and when he caught me watching him, he smiled and signed, “Everything okay over there?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Any thoughts on dessert? Apple slices or an orange?”
“What?” My mouth fell open. Was he serious? “It’s a playdate. We need ice cream,” I enthusiastically signed.
“I’m glad you see it as a playdate, Cupcake.” Smiling, Caden walked over to me and kissed me on the nose.
“Can we have ice cream with sprinkles for dessert?” I signed and did my best to ignore his comment.
Calling it a playdate did make it easier for me to not freak out about them coming over. I was still nervous as hell, and the thought of them knowing about my past made me sick. But there was a possibility that Caden was right and they didn’t hate me. As if he’d sensed that my mind drifted off, Caden kissed me on the nose again, and blinking, I looked up.
“Will chocolate ice cream work?”
“Chocolate and strawberry. I think I still have strawberry ice cream.”
“Perfect. But you only get ice cream if you both eat your salad.”
“Why are Daddies so obsessed with fruits and vegetables?”
Caden threw his head back and laughed out loud. Of course, he thought it was funny. He could eat what he wanted without someone hovering over him.
“Because Daddies want their Boys to be healthy, and if we didn’t put our foot down, all the Littles would eat only sweets and sugary things.”
“We would not.”
“Sure, Cupcake.” My mouth opened to start another protest, but the lights of my doorbell flashed. Jakob and Sam were here. Caden leaned down and gently put his hands on my cheeks. “It’s going to be okay, Henry. They’re friends, and they’re here because they care.”
“Yeah.” I tried not to freak out, but it was hard. Caden kissed me, and then he held out his hand to help me get up.
“Come on. Let’s go let them in.”
“You promise you’ll throw them out when they hate me?”
“Yes, I promise.”
Sighing, I stood up and followed Caden to the front door. Sure enough, when I pressed the button, Jakob and Sam came into view on the camera. But what caught my interest was the enormous plush kangaroo Sam held in his arms. My mouth dropped open, and I stared at the giant plushie. Caden reached over my shoulder and pressed the button to let them in. They disappeared from the monitor, and I turned towards the elevator, excitedly waiting for them to arrive.
“Do you think the plushie is for me?” I looked over my shoulder to see Caden answer me. He grinned and shrugged.
“Maybe, Little Roo. You never know.”
Oh wow. I loved kangaroos and stuffies. Since they brought me a plushie, that meant that they didn’t hate me, right? The elevator had never been so slow before, and when the doors finally opened, Caden had his hand on my lower back to calm me. Jakob stepped out first, followed by Sam, who was blushing and had a shy smile on his lips. He almost dropped the Kangaroo when he tried to sign. Then he rolled his eyes and pointed to his lips.
“Hi. I brought you a gift.”
Blinking, I stared at the kangaroo. A gift. For me. Sam and Jakob brought me a gift.
“I…I don’t have anything for you.”
“That’s okay. When you come over to my place, you can bring me a gift.” Sam grinned, but then he ducked his head. “Sorry, Daddy.” Jakob must have scolded him for wanting a gift. “It’s okay, Henry, you don’t need to bring me a gift.”
“No. No. I’ll bring you one. You brought me one.”
That earned me a massive grin from Sam and a wink. Then he shoved the huge stuffie into my arms. The kangaroo was soft, and I took a moment and rubbed my cheek over the fur and cuddled it.
“Thank you.” Caden nudged my side, and when I looked at him, he pointed at Jakob.
“We’re glad you like it. Thank you for inviting us over. It smells amazing.”
“Caden made lasagna.” I pressed myself into Caden's side, who ruffled my hair.
“Oh, that’s my favorite. And it saved me from cooking,” Jakob said with a smile, and he winked at me, and I giggled. When he looked at Sam, I could see the love in his eyes. They were so cute together, and it was apparent how much they loved each other. Glancing over at Caden, I wondered if we would be like them one day.
While I looked at Caden, I caught him saying, “Come on in, then. The lasagna should be ready in a bit.”
Caden stepped back and let Jakob and Sam walk into my apartment. I watched them, and I could see that they were both looking around. A flash of movement caught my eye, and I saw Charlie disappearing into my nursery.
“That’s my cat. Charlie. People scare him.”
Now that Sam’s hands were free, he signed, “You have a cat? I have a turtle. Tate. He’s the best turtle ever.”
I squeezed the stuffie to my body with my elbows and signed, “A real turtle?”
“Yes. I got him at our housewarming party. The best gift ever.”
With a sigh, I hugged the kangaroo closer to my body—a housewarming party with friends. Because I never had many friends and nobody could know where I lived, I never had a housewarming party. This was the first time I had someone visit my home, well, besides Auntie and Owen. I looked back to the elevator to check if the doors were closed. I’d spent a small fortune on my security system. It had always made me feel safe. But now, with strangers here in my home and the parole hearing. Caden pulled me out of my thoughts with a gentle tap on my shoulder.
“Are you okay? You were
