Page 153 of Daddy's Pride
“What? But I’m moving you.”
Rachel looked at her, completely confused. “You and what army?”
“I’ve got a large van all lined up; I’ll drive us down.”
“When did you… But…”
Isla put some stir-fried bok choy on Rachel’s plate. “Eat your greens Rach. And when you said you were moving, I looked into it. It’s not exactly a U-Haul, but it’s the British equivalent.”
“I can’t ask you to do that!” Rach’s tummy felt odd. She was used to Isla looking out for her, but this felt like being looked after, and her Little didn’t know how to feel about that.
“You didn’t. I’m not sure what the problem is; would you rather I didn’t help you move?” The blonde looked concerned, as if worried that she’d somehow overstepped some boundary.
“No,” said Rachel, her voice getting smaller. “I… I… It just feels very… I can look after myself; I promise I’m not useless!”
“Oh darling,” said Isla, putting her plate down and scooting over closer to Rachel. “I know that you’re not useless. You’re capable and strong and smart. I just wanted to help. And—” she sounded shy “—I kind of like looking after you.”
Rachel felt her face flush, and she ducked her head. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. If I had my way, babygirl, I’d…”
Isla stopped and Rachel looked up.
“You’d what?”
“I’d be your Daddy.”
The words came out in a bit of a rush, so Rach wasn’t entirely certain if she’d heard correctly.
“My Daddy?”
“I know you’ve only had Mommy Dommes before, and maybe me being your Daddy isn’t something that you’re looking for, or even wanting, and that’d be totally fine. It’s just—” she took a breath “—that I’d love to be able to do that for you. For your Little.”
Rachel’s Little was on board. Fully. Jumping up and down and demanding sprinkles. But Rachel knew better than to let her Little make decisions for Big Rachel—that was how she’d ended up on her own in London in the first place. Her Little had fallen for a Mommy who really hadn’t cared for or cherished her as she should have been, and had followed her to a different city, only to find herself single and lost in a huge, lonely place.
And Isla had found her, and she’d never really felt fully alone again.
“I’d like to try that,” she said. “It’s not like you haven’t met my Little before.”
“I’ve been a bit like an aunty in the past,” said Isla. “But Daddy would be different. And we can work out what that looks like together.”
“Yes please,” said Rachel, and then she tried it on for size. “Daddy.”
Chapter Ten
Helping Rachel move was bittersweet. Isla couldn’t help but be charmed by how excited her babygirl was about everything. Rachel’s job said that they were fine with her going fully remote—as long as she came up to London for important meetings with clients once in a while—and everything had gone through with the flat super quickly.
It was like she’d gotten the girl, just before the girl left.
And Isla knew that that wasn’t entirely true; Rachel would be just as much hers in Brighton as she was in London, but she hadn’t realized how lonely she’d feel.
They’d ended up spending so much time together; evenings after work, cuddly sleepovers, most weekends, and this move was going to change all of that, just as they were beginning.
But it was important to her girl, Isla could see that. Could see the way her face lit up when she saw the sea at the end of the road, and the way she laughed when she heard seagulls overhead. It was important to Rachel, and so it was important Isla.
She determined to be happy for her girl.
The drive down to Brighton had been rather lovely in the end. Isla let Rachel choose the music station and some fairly cheesy 2000s pop had blasted the entire trip, Rachel singing her heart out.