Happy Birthday Anna (DDLG)

Chapter 1

"You know you don't have to do this," the small woman protested for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
"I know I don't have to, Anna Kitten. I want to," the tall man explained as he guided her out the door, clutching in his hands the bags of newly acquired merchandise. He shuffled the bags to one hand as she stood up on tiptoe to kiss him.
"Thank you, Papa Bear," she whispered in his ear. His eyes twinkled as she gave him an adoring look. He grasped her hand and gently kissed it before tucking it under his arm.
He walked at her pace, knowing that with her much shorter legs couldn't walk as fast as him. Even so, he noticed that she had to take two to three steps for every one of his.
As the couple walked through the mall, he noticed a small crowd around the center. Curiosity got the better of him and he pulled her toward the crowd. Anna froze as the crowd parted and they saw what was going on. Papa felt her stop and turned around when she tugged on his arm.
"Kitten?" he said as he looked at her. Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked up at him. "You love kittens and puppies. Don't you wanna play with them?"
"No, Papa. I don't want to," she replied.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I'll fall in love with one and it won't matter, because I can't afford the pet deposit on my apartment," she explained.
"I see," he said. "But think about this: these kitties probably don't get enough love and attention. Maybe if some of these people see you holding one and how cute they are, they may decide to adopt it."
Anna looked up at her Papa with a look of consideration. "You're right, they need all the attention they can get."
Papa released her arm as she walked up to the fenced-in area. She was aware of her Papa standing behind her. She looked around at all the cats; some orange, some black and white, some tabby, some solid black. Some were playing with toys or were being held by adults and kids alike. Some were asleep inside the randomly-dispersed cat condos and beds.
Anna looked around and her gave stopped at the largest condo. She spotted a tabby kitten laying down on the ground between the fence and the base of the condo. He was not acting scared but she could tell the kitten did not like all the noise.
"What about that one?" she pointed at the small cat and looked up at her Papa. A worker had been subtly listening and picked up the kitten. She smiled as she handed the little tabby to Anna. Anna grinned as the kitten looked up at her. The ribbon around his neck was blue, signaling that he was a boy. She giggled as she brought him up to her face and he immediately started purring.
Papa reached over Anna's shoulder and scratched the kitten's overlarge ears and he gently batted at his hand. Anna jumped when she felt a tug on her skirt and looked down. There, about a third of the way up the fence, a solid black kitten, also wearing a blue ribbon, was pawing at her through the holes. The same worker walked over and picked him up.
"Sorry," she apologized. "He does that whenever he notices his little friend isn't around." She set the wiggling kitten down and sighed as he immediately ran back to the fence and once again started to climb it.
"Can I hold him, too?" Anna asked shyly. The worker nodded and placed the second kitten in her arms. Anna smiled as the black kitten settled instantly and started purring as well. "Are they part of the same litter?" she asked.
The worker shook her head. "That's what's so weird. They do live in the same foster home but they're not siblings.The tabby is actually four weeks older than the black one."
Anna sighed as she snuggled the two kittens. The crowd was getting thick around her and she was feeling uncomfortable so when the worker came by again she nodded and felt sad when she took the kittens back. They were both asleep and barely stirred as the worker placed them on a fluffy blanket.
Papa pushed through the crowd and pulled Anna behind him. Once they were clear he set the bags down and gathered her in his arms. Her anxiety went away almost instantly. She always felt safest in her Papa's arms.
"I'm hungry," he announced. His eyes twinkled again as her stomach growled in response. He picked up the bags and held her hand as they walked to the restaurant. Mercifully, it wasn't very busy and they were sat at a table right away. They looked through the menu and when Anna decided what she wanted she told her Papa and when the server came over, he ordered for her and then himself. As soon as the server was out of earshot Papa eased himself out of the booth.
"Nature's calling, Kitten. I'll be right back," he explained. She nodded and blushed a little as he leaned down and kissed her. She watched as her Papa walked away and then opened her phone. She had no sooner unlocked it when she looked up to see her Papa come back. He hadn't even been gone twenty seconds.
"Sorry, Princess. Their bathroom is out of order. Will you be OK by yourself while I use the bathroom in the mall?" he asked.
Anna giggled and her heart swelled. She knew that her Papa was more than aware of her ability to defend herself but loved that he was so protective of her. It made her feel so cherished and treasured, and the luckiest Little in the world.
"Of course, Papa," she smiled up at him sweetly. He kissed her cheek and hurried out of the restaurant. Anna started playing Candy Crush and was surprised when her Papa returned just as the server came back with their food.
When they were finished and Anna's leftovers where in a to-go container and bag, they left. "Let's go get you some bubble bath stuff," he suggested.
"Papa, you've already spent too much..." Anna started to protest.
"Hush, Kitten," Papa interrupted. "I am not even close to being done spoiling you."
"But..."
"No 'buts'," he warned. "And no more arguments or you'll have a punishment later."
Anna bit her tongue and felt her eyes well up again. "I'm sorry, Papa," she whispered. She thought he understood how she felt about him spending money on her.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Princess. I know how you feel about money. I just wish you would understand that you deserve everything I give you, and more," he sighed. "Plus, I noticed you were low on hand soap. You can buy that yourself if you want."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot all about that," Anna nodded.
As they walked back through the mall after stopping at two more stores, the couple noticed that the crowd around the rescue cat area had grown. Anna shuddered as they squeezed past, her introversion and dislike of crowds was making her anxious once again. Papa wasn't a fan of crowds himself and he gripped her hand tightly as they quickened their pace.
Anna felt herself relax once they went outside. The air was balmy and unusually warm for the middle of fall. The autumn colors were stunning against the clear blue sky and Anna skipped a little as they walked to the car.