Daddy's Little Ones

Chapter 22:

As we drove, I kept watch of Harley in the backseat. She stayed quiet, silently observing everything we drove by. She would fidget here and there, running her little fingers over the buckles. A couple minutes later we hit a bit of traffic, so I looked back at her and she was nervously chewing on his fingers. "Baby, we don't chew on our fingers, do you want your paci?" Harley froze, "uh uh." Brad looked back at her too, took her paci out of the bag, and stretched back, holding it in front of her mouth. "It's okay, little one, we are gonna be stuck in traffic for a little bit." Harley hesitated, but then lisped, "Otay." She accepted the paci, and went on happily sucking on it, as we inched through traffic. I turned on the child's music station I had saved in my car so she could enjoy it.

Brad smiled at me, "She seems comfortable, slipping around us." I smiled, "She sure does. I think with her wearing a pull up, in that seat, she feels small. She has certain triggers." Brad grinned, "I think you are one of those triggers." I nodded and looked in the rearview mirror, smiling at her adorable innocence. We pulled into the parking lot, minutes later, and the four of them were already there waiting for us.

I parked and Theo and Brad got out, and Harley struggled to undo the belt. She couldn't get it undone. I got out and opened her door. She pouted at me, lisping, "I ctan't dwo dwit." I smiled at her, removing her hands from the belt. "I know, baby. Let me help you." She stopped squirming while I undid the buckles. Before I helped her out, I spoke to her quietly, "Harley, look at me." Her focus was everything besides me. I gently took her chin in my hand. "Listen, Lele. We are going into the restaurant. I need to know whether you are going to stay little or you will stay out of headspace." She didn't respond, she just whimpered. "I know honey, you want to be little, but we are out in public, are you okay with that?" She shook her head, "Nwo." She lisped through the pacifier. I took it from her mouth and she whimpered again, watching me put it in my pocket.

I helped her out and she mumbled, "thank you." "Your welcome, Lele." She shuffled forward, and Sawyer ruffled her hair as she got close to him. "Hey, squirt." She smiled, as Quinn launched herself into Harley. "Angelfaceeee, you look so sexyyyy." Harley grinned, "thanks." Quinn took a step back and examined Harley, "what's wrong?" Harley shuffled her feet and looked back up at me.

I explained, "Harley's having a difficult morning. She hasn't been able to fully stay little." Quinn nodded in understanding, "It's been a while since Harley fully let herself slip." Parker knelt down looking into Harley's eyes, who took a step back, so her back was directly against me. I held her shoulders and Parker cooed, "Hey, hi cutie." Harley looked right at him, silently.

"Yo, I am hungry." Hunter groaned. Everyone turned their attention to him. "Let's go, loser." Parker went back to full height. Harley shuffled forward, following them in. We got seated in a big circular  booth for the seven of us. I had Harley on one side and Theo on the other. Brad sat on the other side of Theo, and Harley was next to Sawyer.

The hostess left us menus, and while everyone was looking at them, besides Harley. Her attention was watching everything that moved in the dinner. She was very fidgety in her seat. Sawyer noticed this too. "Hey, squirt, you gotta stay still." Harley stilled for a moment, but her legs kept swinging underneath the table. I had a thought, "hey, Lele. Wanna make a deal?" She looked at me, interested. "If you can stay still and be a good girl, when we go shopping for Theo, you can get one thing. How does that sound?" She nodded slowly. "Okay, then. What do you want to eat?" She shrugged, biting her lip. "Don't bite your lip, little one." Sawyer said.

She stopped, looking uncomfortable. I pointed to the menu. "Pancakes? Waffles? French Toast? Eggs?" She shook her head, and pointed at the fruit cup. " Baby, you have to have more than fruit."

"Good luck with that one. She barely ate anything the past two days. You saw part of it firsthand." Theo grumbly stated. I had noticed he would squirm every couple of minutes. I reached under the table, and reached under his waistband. Squeezing his pull up. He was dry. He yelped, causing everyone to look at him. He was crimson as he groaned at me. "Seriously?" I shrugged, "hey, you were the one squirming over here." He stayed quiet.

I turned my attention back to Harley. She was playing tic-tac-toe with Sawyer, who was letting her win, over and over again. Harley giggles with happiness at his mock distraught. "Ugh, you beat me again." She giggled. The waitress came over to take the order, Harley froze as it came to her turn to order, so I stepped in, "She'll have an apple juice, and a fruit cup. And I'll have orange juice, and a big breakfast, with hash, scrambled eggs, and sausage."

Everyone else ordered, so the waitress left, and Harley continued her games with Sawyer, so I turned my attention to Theo and Brad. Brad was talking to Theo quietly. I listened in, "Relax, Theo. We will go shopping afterwards. We can get everything you need afterwards." Brad was telling him. Theo wasn't having it. "No. I don't want to." He was squirming again. I whispered to the two of them, "I think someone needs the potty." Theo froze, "Nooo." Brad looked at him closely, "If you need too, I will take you." Theo shook his head.

The drinks came over, and Theo stopped squirming. "Will, look at Sawyer's and me's picture." Harley giggled. I turned and looked at Sawyer's very poor drawing of bears, and Harley's colorful scribble of trees and the sky. I laughed, "It's beautiful, baby." She smiled with joy. And she continued drawing with Sawyer until the food arrived shortly later. Harley quietly munched on her fruit, and I kept trying to get her to eat bits of my food but she wouldn't budge. "C'mon, Lele. You can't just have fruit." She ignored me and ate the last of her fruit.

I cut up a piece of sausage and put it on her plate. She looked at me, "Uh uh." I shook my head, "Yes, remember our deal?" she nodded and sadly picked up a piece of sausage with her fingers and slowly chewed. "I don't like it." She mumbled. Sawyer put some maple syrup on her plate, and he said, "Try with this." She took another piece and again used her fingers, getting them covered in  maple syrup. She didn't complain, but she still made a face. She was getting covered in syrup now. "Good idea, Sawyer." I laughed.

She finished and went to go pick up her juice and I stopped her, "Whoa whoa, little girl. You are all sticky." She looked at me, and I took a paper towel and wiped her hands and her face. She flinched, rearing her head back, "Stay still." I said, she whined but complied. I handed her her juice, and she sipped on it, placing it back on the table. She took her crayons and started drawing again. I smiled, she was adorable. I turned my attention to Theo, who had completely devoured his plate, his juice was completely gone, and right now he was drinking the remainder of Brad's chocolate milk. No matter what Theo would drink or eat anything you put in front of him.

Everyone finished it, we paid the bill, and we made our way back to the car. We quickly said bye to the other 4, since we would see them later or tomorrow anyway. Theo got back in his seat, and I went over with Harley to help her. I helped her in, buckling her, closing the door, and getting in myself. I started the car, and drove across the street to the local superstore.

Again, I got Harley out as soon as I parked. She looked around the parking lot curiously, "Where's Sasa?" "I think he went back to the house." "Oh." I took her hand in mine and we all walked in. Theo was suspiciously quiet but I didn't question it. Brad grabbed a cart and looked at me as we walked in, "What's first?" I gestured to Theo, " I think we should get everything for him." Theo blushed but didn't say anything.

We walked to the back, and started with the baby bottles aisle. I turned to him, " Wanna pick your own?" She shook his head, turning away. "Suit yourself." As I scanned the aisles for necessities, Harley tugged on my hand. "Can I pick a stuffie?" She asked. I looked around, the stuffed animals were a couple aisles over, we had already walked past. "Okay, baby, but pick one and come right back." She nodded and walked off. I continued looking around the aisles for Theo.