Doctor Daddy’s Holiday Little by Scott Wylder
CHAPTER ONE
Peyton
"This is so much better than the playgroup parties we used to go to," Cynthia told me as we played in the playroom together. I smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Definitely," I said as I picked up the nearest barbie doll. "I'll admit that I'm kind of jealous, though. Christmas is still a week away, and Nathan and Auntie Patty have been spoiling you all month." Cynthia frowned as she looked around at the room.
The playroom was the entire basement repurposed and lavishly furnished. Nathan had gone all out with his arrangements for Cynthia from a fully functional bathroom to the changing station and practically every book and toy she could possibly ask for. She had gotten used to the more immature side of being a Little while I was still struggling with what I was going to do next.
I knew it wasn't Nathan's job to take care of me. He was Cynthia's Daddy, not mine, so he didn't even have to bring me here in the first place. However, after seeing the place that Cynthia and I had called home, he decided that, for my sake as well as Cynthia's sake, he would allow me to stay here with the three of them. While I was thankful for a safe place to live, I couldn't help but feel like I should be doing something to help out around the house. After all, I was twenty-four, the age that most Daddies thought that a Little was too old, and, unless I found a Daddy who liked me enough to make me their Little, I had to move on and become an adult. So, I had started looking for a job in order to help pay for my own bills.
"This stuff is for you, too," Cynthia protested, looking a bit hurt by my statement. "You're part of this family, too." I sighed and shook my head.
"For now," I muttered as I put down the Barbie I was playing with. Cynthia looked confused as she stared at me.
"But Nathan's brother is a Daddy," she reminded me. "He's going to be here any day, and he said that he would love to meet you and see about making you his Little." I thought back to what Nathan had told me about his brother.
"What if he doesn't like me?" I asked her. "I turn twenty-five in February. No Daddy wants a grown up Little." The realization dawned on Cynthia, and she held me close to her.
"Peyton," she cooed as she hugged me. "I promise you everything will be okay. Call me crazy, but I know that he's going to be head over heels for you. You just have to have faith in a Christmas miracle." I grinned as I stared at her.
"You want to watch Mickey's Magical Christmas, don't you?" I asked, and she giggled playfully.
"Yes, I would love to very much so," she admitted. "Should we go upstairs?" I frowned as I looked at the dolls that were scattered around the floor.
"We should probably clean this all up first," I advised. "Nathan did say that, if you don't take care of your toys, he will take them away." Seeing the pout start to form on her face, I nudged her with my arm.
"Come on," I told her with a gentle smile. "We'll make a game out of it. Whoever finishes cleaning their half first gets to control the remote." After thinking it over, she nodded in agreement.
"Deal," she told me. "You pick up the Barbies, and I'll put away the books and dolls." Raising her hand in the air, she grinned from ear to ear. "On three… One… Two… Three!" With that, we both scrambled to clean up our toys and put them away, the idea of controlling the remote etched into our minds.
Of course, Cynthia "accidentally" bumped into the Barbie container on her way to the book nook, spilling the toys that we never got into. I laughed and shook my head as I scrambled to pick it all up, knowing that, thanks to her picky nature, she would make sure everything was absolutely perfect in the book nook, so I had plenty of time. As I hurried to pick up the Barbie shoes and accessories, I became extremely grateful for the thin carpeting that Nathan had used on the floor. Originally, he had planned on shag carpet, but Auntie Patty had talked him out of it thanks to experience with small toys. Within minutes, I had everything put away and rose to my feet.
"Done!" I shouted in pride. "Victory is mine!" Cynthia looked over and shook her head.
"No fair!" she shouted. "You had less than me!" I laughed as I watched her put away the last book and pick up the doll at her feet. "I want a rematch." I crossed my arms at her.
"After you accidentally tipped over the Barbie bin full of small pieces?" I asked as I stared at her. "This was more than fair." A mischievous look overcame her as she put away the final doll.
"You won't be able to claim the remote if I claim it first," she told me before sprinting towards the stairs. My jaw dropped as I watched her run, but I didn't stay there long.
"That's cheating!" I shouted as I ran up the stairs after her.
As soon as I burst through the basement door, I became aware of the smell of cookies being baked in the kitchen while Auntie Patty listened to Christmas music from the radio. She had just pulled a fresh batch out of the oven, and I skidded to a stop, nearly running into her in the process. Thankfully, she dropped the cookie pan onto the empty cooling rack on the kitchen island.
"Be careful, Peyton," she scolded as she chuckled. "You shouldn't go running through the house, especially not the kitchen." I cringed as I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Sorry, Auntie Patty," I told her as I maneuvered my way around the kitchen a bit more carefully. She shook her head at me as she went back to work while I made my way over to the living room, where Cynthia was already turning on Mickey's Magical Christmas.
"I win," she smirked as she turned up the volume. "I get the remote." I sighed and shook my head as I sat down on the couch, glad to enjoy yet another day as a Little.
