Page 21 of Butch

The corner where he normally sat. Butch hadn’t meant to claim it, but when he first joined, he kept sitting in that corner, nursing a beer as he thought about Rae and what she was up to. It had unofficially become his little corner, and he was thankful for that.

“So, how is she doing?” Reaper asked again. “Did the surgery go well?”

“Doc didn’t tell you guys?” His eyebrows raised.

“He wouldn’t tell us anything. Said it wasn’t our business to know. But we also couldn’t interrogate him because he was helping Deccan and Echo while she was sick. Apparently, she was throwing up, couldn’t eat or drink, and was exhausted. Deccan was really worried about her,” Levi explained as he started to cook on the stove.

Butch sat down in the chair, moving Rae so she was in a more comfortable position.

“The surgery went well. We are waiting two to six weeks for the incision to heal before anything can happen. Rae was pretty out of it for the first couple of days, but seems to be in a better mood now,” Butch explained. “She didn’t want to come out here, but I made her so they could clean my room.”

Not that it needed cleaning. When Raelynn was having surgery, they cleaned the room and put new sheets on there, but he wanted her to feel comfortable while also pushing her to meet new people… people who were going to be around for the rest of her life. He wanted her to grow comfortable around them so they could be someone she could come to if anything happened to him or he wasn’t available.

“And in two to six weeks, she will hear again?” Reaper asked.

Butch nodded. “From what I understand. I know it’s going to take her some time to get used to hearing again. She’ll probably be sensitive and exhausted for a while. But the doctor explained that it is over the course of a year, we are going to keep coming back to them so they can almost fine-tune how loud it is and other things.”

Levi and Reaper both nodded.

“What are you making?” Butch asked as Levi started to plate something.

“Mac and cheese. I figured every Little had to love this stuff, and it’s not heavy food. If she wants something else, I can also heat up some chicken nuggies that Deccan bought Echo the other day. I bet he wouldn’t mind if she ate some of them,” Levi said as he placed a big bowl of mac and cheese in front of them. “I figured one bowl, since you were most likely going to feed her. Then you can eat whatever is left, and I’ll make you something else.”

Butch chuckled and gently tapped Rae on the shoulder. She pulled back slightly and looked up at him. He made the motion for eating in sign language and pointed to the bowl, her eyes following and nodding.

“Feed me?” she whispered.

A smile blossomed across his face, and he nodded. Pulling out his phone, he started to type.

You’ll need to face the other direction, though. I don’t want to accidentally miss your mouth and get food everywhere.

She flinched. “Other people?”

Levi and Reaper are in here, but they won’t bother you. Trust Daddy.

Before she could say anything, he helped her turn around, and her whole body stiffened even more. He didn’t like it, but he was hoping that after a little while of being around them, she wouldn’t be so stiff. Her head turned toward Reaper and Levi, and both of them gave her a small smile.

Butch scooped up some mac and cheese, testing it against his lips before bringing it to her lips. She happily ate each bite, making his pride swell more and more.

“His head is going to get so big,” Reaper muttered. “I didn’t think he was going to change much when he found her, but it’s almost night and day.”

Butch glared in their direction as he fed her another bite of food.

“Oh, I knew he had a soft spot. The few times he got drunk, he would go on and on about her and how much he wanted to be her Daddy again. How he wanted to find her and give her anything and everything she could ever want or need. He might look tough, but he’s a big softy on the inside.” Levi chuckled. “Just look at the way he interacts with Echo.”

Raelynn looked up at Butch, and he stopped glaring and smiled.

“Okay?” she asked, and he nodded.

Rae opened her mouth and looked at him expectantly. A smile split his face as he fed her another bite.

“Can I ask Raelynn a question?” Reaper asked.

“Is it a question that is going to make her lose her appetite?” Butch questioned. “I don’t want her not to eat because you asked her a question that could have waited.”

“I’ll wait until she finishes, just in case,” he replied.

It didn’t take long for Raelynn to finish eating and look up at Butch expectingly.