Bossy Baby by Athena Steller

 

One

Hayley

Hayley Flint sighed dreamily as he peered out through the front window of his shop. The big, bald, attractive man who had just exited the coffee shop across the street had been starring in Hayley’s nightly fantasies for months now. Mac visited Hayley’s store at least once a week, normally when Hayley’s shop was slow, which allowed Hayley to drool over him. Without any other customer currently in the shop, Hayley crossed his fingers under the counter that Mac would pick today for another visit.

Yes!Still drinking from his coffee cup, Mac started to cross the street.

Hayley straightened quickly and looked around, making sure everything was in order at the counter. He quickly squirted some hand sanitizer onto his palms and rubbed them furiously. How he managed to be a germaphobe and an extremely tactile person at the same time was beyond him. He had a need to touch people, to connect to them skin to skin. It was a pain that when he wasn’t touching someone, his brain would tell him he needed to get clean. So annoying.

Growing up, he hadn’t realized something was wrong with him.

His family hadn’t treated him like he was different or weird. Neither had anyone in his close-knit community. He was used to people just accepting him.

Then he’d moved out of the commune to start his own life.

There were times when Hayley regretted moving so far from his family.

Most of the time, he was relieved. He loved his family—his blood family and the members of his commune that he considered extended family. But they were weird. Or meddling would be another description. Hayley wanted to make his own decisions, a hard thing to do when his mom, dad, and five older brothers all had their own opinions on how he did things.

His family would be pushing him at Mac, instead of Hayley waiting for Mac to make the first move, which Hayley was starting to think was never going to happen. Hayley hinted, flirted, and did everything he could think of to let Mac know he was interested.

‘Every time Hayley thought Mac was getting close to asking him out, the big guy would turn tail and flee from him.

Huffing, Hayley shook his head. He worked hard every day to keep a positive attitude. It wouldn’t do to let the feeling of rejection take over. Besides, how could he blame Mac when Hayley was too afraid to make his own move?

As sweet as Mac was, maybe he just wasn’t interested in Hayley. That was okay. Hayley knew he wasn’t for everyone, and that was before he added in his kinky side.

Kink seemed like such a tame word for what he was into, though. He’d explored his interests first quietly at home with other people who had been into kink. Moving to the city had opened so much more, though.

Being a little, Hayley found the release he’d been searching for. Naturally submissive, Hayley had no problem following a Dom’s lead. But when he got to be little Hayley, he was so much happier.

And he had little friends. Friends that he went on playdates with or who he could just call when he needed a boost. A few he’d met online, through a private group in his new city. But it was fate that had brought his best of friends to him. First Caleb Levell had started to come into the store, looking for organic supplies that would be safe to use around all his fur babies. Hayley had liked Caleb instantly. After a few weeks, Caleb had started to drag his boyfriend and friends in. Caleb’s boyfriend, Grant, was a big, scary-looking detective who Hayley had learned was super nice. Avery and Mitch, Caleb’s friends, were just as kind as Caleb. And they were all kinky!

Avery worked across the street part-time at the coffee shop. A few times a week, Avery would come and hang out with Hayley while he wanted on his Daddy to pick him up.

His Daddy…and not the biological kind.

The first time Avery had slipped and called Jace Daddy, Hayley had about burst with happiness. Fate had stepped in, sending Hayley the people he needed in his life.

Everything clicked into place for all of them.

Kink. Daddy. Boys. Littles. Middles. Princesses. There was a whole world out there and Hayley had fit in perfectly with his new friends. It helped relieve the sadness of missing his wonderful family.

His own parents had an unusual relationship. His parents, his two dads and mom, were accepting and understanding. Yep, his parents were involved in a ménage relationship that had lasted almost fifty years.

Acceptance had been taught to Hayley and all his siblings from an early age. Experimenting on his own had been encouraged, but that was all he’d really ever done, experimented. There were no Daddy or boys in his old commune.

Being little made Hayley happy. He had everything that he could ever need. His apartment just upstairs from his shop held his array of toys that he’d been collecting since before he’d left home. He had both his little and big clothes hanging in the spare bedroom, and more coloring books than any boy would ever need. Hayley saw something he wanted, and just bought it.

He often wondered how much would change once he found a Daddy.

Would his Daddy monitor what Hayley purchased? Would he set limits? Admittedly, that was something Hayley needed. Money was tight, with having his own small business, but when Hayley spotted something that spoke to his little side, he had to have it.

Like his obsession with Mac. He wanted Mac to be his Daddy.

The problem, of course, being Hayley couldn’t just wish for Mac to be his. There needed to be a connection. While Hayley felt a spark whenever Mac was near, that didn’t mean that Mac returned his feelings.

Hayley was working on it, though.

If Mac wasn’t interested in him, then Hayley would just have to keep fantasizing.

Maybe if he figured out exactly what he wanted in a Daddy, then Hayley would recognize that person when he came around, instead of daydreaming about Mac taking care of him.

The problem was that Hayley sort of already knew what he wanted. No one he’d ever met had come close to how he pictured his Daddy would look, act, and treat him. No one until Mac.

Hayley wanted the absolute devotion he saw Jace give to Avery, the protectiveness Grant had of Caleb, and the wickedness Byron and Mitch shared. All of what he saw his friends experience, but wrapped up in one package that was meant for only him to unwrap.

That brought his thoughts back to Mac. Where had he gone? Hayley lifted onto the tips of his toes and peered back out of the window.

There!

Just outside his shop door, Mac was pacing as he spoke on the phone. He didn’t look happy, though. Hayley wanted to run outside and throw his arms around the big man. That probably wasn’t a good idea, though. Mac always stiffened when Hayley touched him. He didn’t pull away though. That had to mean Mac didn’t really mind Hayley’s touch, right? Crap, Hayley was starting to doubt himself again.

To get his mind back in the game, Hayley picked up his favorite cleaning solution and a micro-cloth and went around the counter.

He started with the shelf closest to the counter and began to clean.

Not that his shelves ever got dirty—Hayley was a cleaning freak. But the rhythm of spray, wipe, spray, wipe, relaxed him. He let his mind wander and just let the world flow around him.

“You are always cleaning.”

Hayley squealed and jumped.

Mac stepped back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

Hayley pushed his spray bottle and cloth onto the shelf and grabbed one of Mac’s hands. He didn’t want the big guy running already. “It’s okay,” he tried to reassure Mac. “I got lost in my thoughts and didn’t hear the bell.” Stupid. Stupid. He’d known that Mac was outside the door.

“I’m sorry. I know I can be…scary.”

“You aren’t scary,” Hayley rushed to say. He beamed up at Mac. Hayley loved just gazing at him.

Mac shook his head. “I should go.”

“Go?” Hayley practically shouted. He tugged on Mac’s hand. “You just got here. Didn’t…didn’t you need something?” He squeezed Mac’s hand.

Mac stared at him for several long moments. “Blood,” he blurted out.

“Blood?” Hayley cocked his head in confusion. He needed more than one-word answers from Mac. But blood? Hayley didn’t know what to do about that.

Mac shook his head. “I…” He lifted his free hand, the one Hayley was not hanging on for dear life, and rubbed the back of his beautiful bald head. “Do you have something that would get rid of blood?”

“I do!” Hayley bounced on his toes. “I have a gallon mixture that you can add to the washing load or a spray bottle to help rub out the blood. Both work really well.” Hayley dragged Mac behind him to the other side of the store. The back.

Wicked thoughts invaded, with Hayley knowing that he and Mac would be out of the view of customers walking by. Damn, he could get down on his knees and show Mac what a good boy he could be.

Sadly, Hayley was certain that would have the big guy running for the door even faster than normal.

“Here.” Hayley pointed to the right shelf. “Is it just a little blood? You didn’t hurt yourself, did you? You have to be careful. Especially around the house. I heard that most hospital visits are from people who had accidents at home. It’s probably a good thing that my apartment is right upstairs. I don’t have to worry about a yard or making home repairs.” Hayley knew his mouth was running away, but he couldn’t stop. He just wanted to keep Mac there with him. “Do you have a house?” He took a deep breath when he finally stopped talking.

He expected Mac to be annoyed. A lot of people were when he went off on one of his chattering tirades.

Instead, when he peered up at Mac, Mac was smiling at him.

“I have a house in the new Hillcrest development,” Mac shared.

“Oh, that’s a nice neighborhood.” A really nice neighborhood. Like way past anything that Hayley would ever be able to afford. Mac was rich. Damn, what did he have to offer a handsome, rich guy? He deflated.

“I haven’t been there long,” Mac said. “I just finished decorating it, in fact.”

That was more information than Mac normally shared. Maybe that meant something.

Crap!Hayley was driving himself crazy. “That’s good.” For once Hayley didn’t know what to say. He felt so stupid. Here he’d been flirting with Mac for months and he probably had a wife and kids at home. Or husband and kids. He was pretty certain that Mac was gay. But he hadn’t considered if Mac was already taken. The houses in Hillcrest were huge, way too big for one guy.

He dropped Mac’s hand. He was so embarrassed. “Do…do you want the gallon or spray bottle?”

Mac frowned. Maybe even almost reached for him. No, that had to be Hayley’s imagination. “I’ll take one of both.”

“Great.” Hayley pulled a gallon and a bottle off the shelf. He walked slowly back to the counter to ring up Mac’s purchases. Mac stayed at his heels. Hayley couldn’t look back at the big man’s face. How could he had thought that Mac would be interested in him?

“Do you need anything else?” Hayley kept his gaze on Mac’s chin so he didn’t see the pity on the beautiful man’s face.

With the counter between them, Hayley couldn’t touch Mac. Maybe he should just keep his ass on his side of the counter. That would be much easier. He had to forget all about all the fantasies. Stupid fantasies. Mac probably never even heard of age play. For sure wouldn’t be interested in playing with Hayley.

Hayley rang up Mac’s purchases. He usually felt bad when it came to people paying. Running an organic shop made the prices higher than other stores. But the products he sold were worth every penny. Mac could obviously afford to shop there. Probably why he did. It hadn’t been Hayley that Mac kept coming in to see.

In his mind, he could see the perfect partner that Mac probably had at home. A little guy like him. Super sweet and totally supportive.

“Forty-two seventeen,” Hayley said quietly. He was holding it together. He would not cry.

Mac passed over his credit card. “Are you okay?”

Hayley plucked the credit card from Mac’s fingertips. “Of course.” He gave Mac his best customer service smile, even though he still couldn’t look him in the eye.

He ran the credit card through, printed the receipt, and laid it on the counter. He set a pen on top. As Mac signed his receipt, Hayley bagged up his purchases. In reusable cloth bags of course. They were free with any purchase in his shop.

“Thank you for your purchase,” he said sincerely. Even if his heart was breaking, Hayley needed all the customers he could get.

“Yeah, no problem.”

Hayley caught Mac rubbing the back of his head again. Why was that so sexy?

“Have a good day.”

“Yeah. You too.” Mac seemed to hover before he quickly turned and walked away from the counter.

Hayley didn’t watch him go. Not this time. As soon as he heard the bell, signaling Mac’s exit, he ran to the back where his sink was.

He pumped extra soap onto his hands and scrubbed them thoroughly before turning on the water. He used extra-hot water. And sniffled. Damn, damn, damn. He was not going to cry. No, he didn’t even know Mac. Not really.

Mac was super kind. Of course he had a partner. He deserved to be happy. Hayley shouldn’t be selfish.

He wiped his eyes with his shoulder before he turned off the water.

He was drying his hands when he heard the bell again.

Taking a deep breath, Hayley turned back to finish the rest of his day.

“Hayley?”

It was Avery! Hayley instantly perked up. Avery was just who he needed to see. No one could be sad when Avery was around. “Coming! I’m just washing my hands.”

“Okay,” Avery called back.

Hayley checked his reflection in the mirror. Good, he didn’t look like he’d been crying.

Maybe Hayley would take a hot bubble bath when he got home and have himself a good cry. His mama always said to confront and deal with his emotions so he could move on. That was exactly what he would do. Some time in his play area would also help. He’d give himself a little night and be just fine.

To get himself out of the funk he could feel tugging at him, Hayley skipped back to the counter.

“Hi, Avery,” Hayley greeted his friend.

“Hi, Hayley. I brought you a chai latte. Is it okay if I hang out until Jace comes picks me up?”

Hayley threw his arms around Avery’s neck and hugged him.

Avery hugged him back. It was a wonderful hug.

“Of course, it’s okay! I love when you come hang out,” Hayley assured him. “And thank you for the latte. I’ve been craving one.”

Avery bounced a bit. Hayley could see his little side close to the surface. “I made it myself just for you. I even put extra flavoring in so it would be super good.”

“Thank you, Avery.” He took a big sip of his latte. “Oh, this is so yummy.”

Avery hopped around. “Cool!”

Hayley drank some more of his latte before setting it on the counter. “So what plans do you and your Daddy have for the weekend? Hey! It’s Saturday—you aren’t supposed to be working.”

“I know.” Avery shrugged. “It’s my last shift for a while, though. I start my new volunteer position next week. Daddy said we could have a full little weekend once we both get done with work today.”

Hayley pushed down his jealousy. “That’s awesome!”

“Daddy even got me a surprise. I don’t know what it is, though. That’s why I have to wait for him. Grant went with him, so it must be heavy.”

Hayley grinned as he leaned against the counter. “What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know,” Avery leaned toward him. “Daddy is so good to me. It could be anything.”

Avery deserved all the treats and surprises he could get. Once he’d stopped being so shy and opened up to Hayley, Hayley just fell in love with him. Not love-love. More like Avery was his little brother love. Not that Hayley had a little brother. He was the youngest of six boys. But Avery would be the perfect little brother. Little in younger and little as in little. Ha, that was funny.

“Maybe it’s a new binkie?” Hayley offered. Avery already had like twenty binkies. He was obsessed with them.

Avery pressed his lips together. “But why would he need Grant to go with him to pick me out a new binkie? He normally just orders them online.”

“Oh yeah.” Hayley had forgotten about that. “So something big and heavy?”

“I think so,” Avery agreed.

Hayley started guessing the most outlandish things he could come up with. By the time the bell rang, announcing someone entering, he and Avery were laughing so hard they had to hold each other up.

“I love the sound of laughing boys.” Jace came around the shelves with a big smile.

“Daddy!” Avery ran over to Jace and into his open arms.

“Hey, baby boy,” Jace greeted Avery quietly before giving him a kiss.

Hayley sighed as he watched them.

One day, he told himself. One day he would have the same love directed at him.

Mac

Mac easily picked the lock before he stepped into the dark kitchen. The sun was barely over the horizon, so he wasn’t surprised by the silence in the house, the same silence he heard in his own home. Usually he didn’t mind the quiet. But after he’d left Hayley’s shop the day before, he hadn’t been able to settle.

He strolled over to the coffee pot, pleased to see it had already been prepped. It probably had a timer for the occupants of the house. Mac didn’t feel like waiting though, so pressed the On button.

As the coffee machine began to brew, Mac wandered around the kitchen.

He liked the little touches that spoke of the place being a home. His own house didn’t have those small touches. It was cold and sterile. He’d copied the décor out of magazines he’d picked up and couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong.

Mac wanted his house perfect for when he brought his boy home.

Now he was doubting himself.

A soft meow drew him from his thoughts. He leaned down and petted the tiny head of the black kitten. He’d grown in the months since Mac had first seen him. There was no sign of the second kitten, but Mac wasn’t surprised. He knew the kittens well. And the other one liked his sleep. This one was Mac’s favorite. She was adventurous.

Mac hadn’t ever been an animal person, but he’d found that he really liked cats. In fact, he liked them so much that he now had three of his own. He’d gone to the shelter for one and had walked out with three. He still didn’t know how that happened. Oh well, he had plenty of room for the kittens and everything that came with them.

He picked up his little friend and carried the kitten to the counter as he waited to make himself a cup of coffee until it finished brewing.

Then he sat down at the table to wait.

It was a long wait. He only rose, kitten still in his arms to make and refill his mug.

He’d gone through with the entire pot of coffee by the time he heard movement in the house.

Sun now shone through the kitchen window bathing him and the kitten in light. He stayed still as he heard water running farther back in the house. He followed the sounds mentally, already knowing every inch of the house.

He was fully prepared when the kitchen light was flipped on.

“God damn it!” Byron yelled when he spotted Mac at the table.

Mac continued to stroke the top of the kitten’s head. The kitten barely looked up from Mac’s lap at her master’s shout.

Byron stood in the kitchen doorway, half-naked, and fuming.

Mac kept himself from smiling. Barely. “Good morning.”

Byron huffed. “What the hell, man? Did you really break into our house? Again?”

“I did not break anything,” Mac retorted. “I simply let myself in.”

“Maybe we should just give him a key?”

Mac grinned at the sexy lawyer behind Byron’s huge form. “Good morning, Mitch.”

Mitch sighed. “Good morning, Mac.” He pushed past Byron and sat next to Mac at the table. “It’s good to see you again.”

“We’re getting a guard dog,” Byron muttered as he stalked across the kitchen. “The biggest and meanest dog I can find. Maybe he’ll eat burglars instead of crawling up in their lap.”

Mac leaned toward Mitch. “I’m not a burglar.”

“I know.” Mitch patted the back of his hand. “He just needs some coffee.”

“Oh.” Mac looked over to where Byron was picking up the empty coffee carafe.

Mitch chuckled as he shook his head.

“He drank all the coffee,” Byron said very quietly.

Mitch glanced at Mac and lifted an eyebrow.

Mac shrugged. “I had to wait a long time for you two to wake up.”

“Of course you did,” Mitch agreed.

That was why Mac liked Mitch so much. He always agreed with Mac. Never yelled like Byron or threatened him like Grant. Mitch just accepted that Mac was now part of their lives.

Byron slammed things around in the kitchen as he remade the coffee.

“Is everything okay?” Mitch whispered.

That was another thing about Mitch. He seemed to care whether or not Mac was okay. No one else had ever cared about him.

“I think I messed up,” Mac said quietly. He hated to admit he didn’t know what he was doing. He’d been trying so hard to get to know Hayley, and doing it the right way. No stalking, or only minimal stalking—he hadn’t put listening devices in Hayley’s shop or apartment. And he had really wanted to. Mitch had been very firm about that being a bad thing.

“I’m sure it’ll be okay,” Mitch said. “Tell me what happened. We’ll figure out what you should do next.”

Byron set down a sippy cup in front of Mitch. He rubbed the boy’s shoulder as he glared at Mac.

“Daddy, don’t be mean,” Mitch said peering up at Byron. “Our friend is hurting. Can’t you see that?”

Byron narrowed his eyes at Mac. But when he looked at Mitch, his expression softened. “I didn’t agree to adopting a hitman.”

Mac huffed.

Mitch grinned.

“Fine.” Byron threw his hands up. “I’m making breakfast.” He pointed at Mac. “You will talk to Mitch. You will eat your breakfast. Then you will leave. And stop breaking into our house!”

Mac just stared back. He wasn’t going to make any promise he had no plans to keep. He kept breaking into the house because he secretly thought Byron enjoyed it. Maybe. Probably not. But Mac enjoyed annoying the professor. Plus Byron always ended up cooking for him. Mac liked that too.

Byron leaned down and kissed the top of Mitch’s head before stomping back to the fridge.

“What happened? If I have to guess, it has something to do with this mysterious boy you won’t tell us anything about.”

Mac nodded. “I messed up.”

“Did you hurt him? Tell him you were going to chop him up into little pieces and eat him? Actually chop him up into little pieces?” Mitch asked.

“No!” Mac reeled back. “I wouldn’t.”

“Exactly,” Mitch said with a firm nod. “So you didn’t do anything that you can’t recover from. Tell me what happened.”

“Everything was going fine,” Mac said. “We were talking, and he was even holding my hand. He does that a lot. But then all of a sudden, it was like I’d hit him. He dropped my hand, wouldn’t look me in the eye. He’s never acted like that before. I don’t know what I did!”

“Okay, calm down.” Mitch frowned as he rubbed his chin. “What were you talking about?”

Mac shrugged. “Houses?”

“Huh.” Mitch pressed his lips together. “That doesn’t tell me much.”

“I was trying to open up,” Mac said. “He mentioned his apartment, asked if I had a house. I said yes and told him I’d just finished decorating. I was trying to get the nerve to ask him if he wanted to see it but then he just…started acting weird.”

“Start from the beginning. Tell me everything that was said, word for word.”

Mitch’s strong mind, calm voice, and interest helped Mac settle. So he did what Mitch asked. He repeated the conversation as best he could remember it.

“Maybe he thinks you’re a snob,” Mitch ended up saying.

“A snob?”

“Well you did tell him that you live in the richest part of the city. Or maybe he doesn’t like people with money. I’ve seen that before. But he was okay before you said where you lived.”

“He’s always been very accepting of anything I’ve said before. I can’t see him minding if I have money.”

“Huh.” Mitch tapped his lip.

“It’s time to eat,” Byron interrupted.

Mac glared.

“Go wash your hands, boy,” Byron ordered.

Mitch slid out of his chair and headed to the kitchen sink.

“Bathroom,” Byron ordered.

Mitch looked unsure, but when Byron crossed his arms over his chest, Mitch quickly left the kitchen. Mac wasn’t surprised when Byron turned to him.

“Mitch doesn’t know who you’ve been talking about. I do.”

Mac wasn’t surprised. “Are you going to warn me off?”

“Surprisingly no,” Byron said. “If anyone can handle you, it would be that sweet boy. I actually think he’d be good for you.”

Mac groaned.

“But you need to think about everything you said, even if it was just a change in your tone. If Hayley misunderstood something, you need to fix it. It sounds like whatever he’s thinking hurt him, or at least his feelings. I don’t want that sweet boy suffering.”

“I would never hurt him,” Mac declared.

“Sometimes we hurt the ones we care about without realizing it. You said it yourself that something changed. You need to figure out what and fix it. Talk to him. Stop playing games.”

“I’m not,” Mac insisted.

“You are,” Byron argued. “Ask the boy out. That’s all you can do. Don’t string him along.”

Was Mac stringing Hayley along? He didn’t think so. He was just giving Hayley time to get to know him. That way maybe Hayley would say yes when Mac asked him on a date.

“Is everything okay?” Mitch asked from the doorway.

“Fine,” Mac said. He didn’t want to worry the boy. “Byron was just giving me some advice.”

Mitch nodded, although he didn’t look convinced.

“Sit down and I’ll bring the food to the table,” Byron said.

Mac relaxed as he watched breakfast come together for them. Mitch sat, kicking his legs, as he drank from a blue sippy cup. Mac’s coffee mug was refilled before Byron put down platters of eggs and bacon.

It was nice. Homey. Exactly what Mac wanted to share with Hayley one day. Of course, that meant that he needed to learn how to cook.

“What kind of dinner do you think a boy would like?” Mac asked. He was almost certain that Hayley identified as a little. Or close to a little like Mitch. Mitch didn’t identify as a little. Mac didn’t agree. He might not wear diapers like Avery, but he was very little like. When Mitch would deny it, Byron would just grin.

If Hayley was a little, Mac was going to have to do more research. Maybe try to get closer to Avery and Jace, although Jace barely let Mac in the same room as Avery.

That was the kind of Daddy he wanted to be. He wanted to be a Daddy that protected and cared for his boy, no matter how Hayley identified. There was a constant need inside Mac to take control.

“Depends,” Mitch said, with his mouth full.

Byron cleared his throat and Mitch quickly covered his mouth with a napkin. Once he was done chewing, he grinned. “Sorry, Daddy.”

Byron nodded.

Mitch turned back to him. “If it’s just a casual meal, like after a long day, I’d say something fun. Avery likes dinosaur nuggets and apple sauce. Maybe macaroni and cheese. But you can make any meal special.”

“You really can,” Byron agreed. “Cut up his food. Maybe have a divided plate to section off the different food for him. Anything you do just for him is going to make it special.”

Mac nodded. He knew about dividing the food. He’d been watching the other couples. Not stalking. Just taking notes. Lots of notes. In his former line of work, Mac had excelled at learning all he could about his mark. It was scary how easily he could turn his skills to learning more about being the perfect Daddy.

“What else?” Mac pressed.

Mitch shoved another fork full in his mouth as he shrugged.

Luckily, Byron took pity on him. “You’ve obviously been…paying close attention to this boy. You already know what to do.”

Did he though?

“Quit being a pussy and ask the boy out,” Byron growled.

Mac narrowed his eyes. He had a knife. He could make Byron take back those mean words. But he didn’t want to hurt Byron. Not really. Mac didn’t want to hurt anyone ever again. And the professor wasn’t wrong. It was time Mac made his move. The house was ready now. He had somewhere to take Hayley. Invite. He could invite Hayley to his house. No kidnapping. He could hear Mitch’s voice telling him kidnapping was wrong.

It was Sunday, so the shop was closed. He’d have to wait until Monday to find Hayley and talk to him. To make up for whatever he did wrong.

Maybe offer to make him a nice meal. Or a decent meal. Dinosaur nuggets, apple sauce, mac and cheese. He could do that.

Making a decision that he’d ask Hayley out soon, he happily started to pile food onto his plate.