Daddy's Precious Little Girl

Building a bond

Ashlynn's POV

The Sanctuary buzzed with excitement as I walked in. Everyone was gathered in small groups, chatting away, their voices blending into a happy hum that filled the room. I waved goodbye to Daddy, clutching Sir Edward tightly before heading to the play area where Markie, Bryan, Anna, and Marcy were already gathered.

"Hey, Ashlynn!" Markie greeted me, his face lighting up as he waved me over. "We're talking about what we did this weekend!"

"Yeah!" Bryan chimed in, bouncing on his heels. "Daddy (Nickoli) took me to the park, and we had ice cream after! It was so much fun."

"I got to bake cookies with Mommy (Breana)," Anna added, her face glowing with pride. "She let me pick the sprinkles and everything. It was the best."

Markie grinned. "Mommy and I went swimming! She even let me do a cannonball, and it made the biggest splash!"

Their laughter bubbled up around me, and I couldn't help but smile. "Daddy took me to the bookstore," I shared, hugging Sir Edward closer. "He let me pick out a princess book, and we read it together at bedtime."

"That sounds fun!" Anna said, her eyes sparkling. "Daddies and Mommies are the best."

Everyone nodded in agreement—except Marcy. She sat quietly, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt. I noticed her gaze darting between us as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

"What about you, Marcy?" Bryan asked gently, tilting his head. "What'd you do with Franklin?"

Marcy hesitated, her cheeks turning pink. "We... watched movies," she said softly. "He let me pick some of them."

"That's fun!" Markie said with a bright smile. "What did you watch?"

Marcy fidgeted with the hem of her shirt again. "Some princess movies... and some superhero ones."

Anna clapped her hands. "Princess movies are the best! Did Franklin like them?"

Marcy shrugged, her eyes dropping to the floor. "I think so. He didn't say much."

An awkward silence settled over the group, and I felt my heart ache for her. Before I could say anything, Anna perked up.

"Did you guys hear about the picnic on Friday?" she asked, her voice bubbling with excitement. "Mommy says we're gonna make something together to bring!"

"Me too!" Bryan said. "Daddy's letting me help make mini sandwiches. He said I can even help him cut them into cool shapes."

"Mommy and I are making cupcakes!" Markie added with a bounce. "I get to put frosting on them. It's gonna be so yummy!"

I smiled, thinking about how much fun Daddy and I would have making something together. But when I glanced at Marcy, her face had fallen again.

"Franklin doesn't know what I like," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't even know if he'll let me help."

"Of course he will!" Anna said, scooting closer to her. "You just have to ask him."

Marcy shook her head, her eyes downcast. "What if he doesn't care? What if I mess it up?"

"He will care," Bryan said firmly. "You just have to tell him like this: 'Franklin, I really want to help make my favorite food for the picnic please?'"

Markie nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Just tell him what you want. Mommies and Daddies are supposed to listen to us."

Marcy glanced up, her expression uncertain. "I... I guess I could try."

"You can do it," I said, giving her a reassuring smile. "We'll all be there with our Daddies and Mommies. It'll be fun, I promise."

Marcy's lips curved into a small, tentative smile, and for the first time that morning, her shoulders relaxed. "Okay," she said quietly. "I'll try."

Markie clapped his hands. "Yay! It's gonna be the best picnic ever!"

We all nodded in agreement, the excitement bubbling up again. As we talked about the picnic, I couldn't help but hope Marcy would find the courage to tell Franklin what she wanted. Everyone deserved to feel special with their caregiver, and I wanted her to feel as happy as the rest of us.

Marcy's POV

The final bell rang, and the familiar shuffle of Littles gathering their things filled the Sanctuary. I stood by the cubbies, clutching my bag tightly as I waited for Franklin. My heart fluttered nervously, like it always did when he came to pick me up. Things had been... different since he came back. He wasn't as sharp with me, and he even smiled more, but I still wasn't sure how to feel about it.

I spotted him in the doorway, scanning the room before his eyes landed on me. His expression softened, and he raised a hand in a casual wave. I walked over to him, my steps slow and uncertain.

"Ready to go?" he asked, taking my bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

I nodded, falling into step beside him as we left the Sanctuary. The hallway was quieter than usual, the sound of our footsteps echoing softly. Franklin glanced down at me, his face thoughtful.

"How was your day?" he asked, his voice calm.

"It was okay," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I played with Ashlynn, Markie, Bryan, and Anna."

"That's good," he said with a small nod. "What did you all play?"

I hesitated, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. "We talked a lot," I admitted. "About the picnic on Friday."

Franklin's brow lifted slightly. "Oh yeah? What about it?"

"Just... what we're gonna make with our caregivers," I said, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. "Ashlynn's bringing something with Ethan. Markie's making cupcakes. Anna's making cookies and Byran is making mini sandwhiches."

He hummed thoughtfully, and I braced myself for the awkward silence that usually followed when I mentioned something like this. Instead, he surprised me by speaking up again.

"What about you?" he asked. "Would you want to make tacos or pizzas?"

I stopped mid-step, blinking up at him in disbelief. "What?"

"Tacos or pizzas,I know they are your favorites." he repeated, glancing down at me with a curious expression. "We could make either one. Which do you think we should bring?"

I stared at him, stunned. Tacos and pizza were my absolute favorite foods. How did he know? He'd never asked me before. I swallowed hard, my heart racing as I whispered, "Tacos."

Franklin's lips curved into a genuine smile, one that didn't feel forced or impatient. "Tacos it is," he said, ruffling my hair lightly. "We'll make them together."

I couldn't find the words to respond, my chest tightening with a strange mix of emotions. I clutched my bag tighter as we walked the rest of the way to our dorm, my mind swirling. For the first time, I felt like maybe Franklin really did care about what I liked. Maybe things were really changing.