Page 20 of Not Open Yet
“Do you have food for Daddy to cook, or do you want me to order something?”
“Chicken nuggets. They’re in the freezer, and oh, can I have macaroni and cheese from the cupboard, too?”
“You can have whatever you want. Let me get a cartoon on for you, and I’ll get cooking.”
He sat me down on the couch and turned on the TV. “This is the cartoon from your new mason jar. Does it work?”
“Yes, Daddy. It’s my new favorite.”
“Well, then Daddy did well, didn’t he?”
“He’s the best.”
I watched him walk into the kitchen to make my dinner, holding the teddy bear I left on the couch that morning in my arms.
Watching him and feeling this connection between us felt good and right. I didn’t know what the future would bring, but for thefirst time in a very long time, I didn’t feel alone. I felt cherished, and that was something I didn’t think I’d ever experience again.
12
KYLE
I popped out of bed the second my alarm went off, ready to start the day.
We’d worked long into the night and I should’ve been exhausted, but the excitement bolstered my energy. Besides, we were at the finishing line, and it was hardly the time to slow down. Today was the practice run and tomorrow was opening day. Ethan’s dream was about to come true. I was so proud of him. He went from being ready to give up to having a soft launch today, with his new staff and a few of our friends coming by to give the whole thing a go.
That was another area I was really proud of. He’d been reaching out, reconnecting with his friends and family. Not all of them, though. He left Rand’s friends and family alone, at least for now. He said some wounds were still too raw, and he didn’t want to intrude on their lives post Rand, and he for sure didn’t want to reopen the wounds. I had to give him respect for that.
Today, I didn’t put his milk in the same mason jar I usually did, instead putting it in the travel cup. He wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed of who he was, but that didn’t mean he wanted toflaunt it in front of his new staff. I wasn’t sure if he’d want to drink it at work or not, but I wanted it there for him. It had become a comfort thing for him now that he didn’t have to save up so he could have it only on special occasions.
At first he worried it would impact my income. And it did, but negligibly. The more I pumped and he drank, the more I produced, and it pretty much evened out at this point.
The travel cup I chose had a straw, which wasn’t the same as a bottle, but it was as close as we could get. Because it was a special day, I also made breakfast, putting the steaming oatmeal in a thermos with a little container of the add-ins beside it.
I practically skipped to the car. Anyone looking at me would think I was the Little.
For the first few hours, we practiced the routine of running the shop with the two employees one last time. They were both college kids. Jaymes, the oldest of the two, had experience as a barista in high school, and Morgan lived nearby and thought the place looked fun. They were both going to be an asset to the place. Their enthusiasm was contagious.
The summer was coming to an end. Next week, I had to go to my first teacher workshop day. I loved my job, but I was going to miss this. I was thrilled when the final inspections came through on time and the shop would be open before our schedules were upended.
It was only twenty minutes before we were going to unlock the door for our “real” customers, and for the first time all day, I saw Ethan tremble. He was getting nervous. He didn’t have any reason to be. We were more than ready.
“Guys, can we just do one last check to make sure everything’s up to temperature?” I said, using authority I didn’t really have.
Then, I grabbed Ethan’s hand and led him to the back by the staircase going up to his apartment. “You’ve got this.” I kissed his forehead.
“I know. I’m just...”
“Would some milkies help?”
There was no hesitation. “Yes, Daddy.”
I shut the door connecting the back of the shop to the staircase and lifted up my shirt. There was no time for us to go upstairs and snuggle. As it was, we were cutting it close. He leaned in and latched on, instantly sucking in long drafts of milk. His hand kneaded the other side of my chest just like he always did. His other hand wrapped around me, and I could feel the tension drain from his body as he drank and drank. He stopped long enough to do the same on the other side.
Ethan licked my nipple and then kissed me. “Thank you, Daddy. I needed that.”
And then he walked out with all the confidence in the world, and he should. The shop was wonderful.
He went straight to the door, and when Morgan and Jaymes nodded, unlocked it.
