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“I’m not sure.” Maxwell’s sigh is heavy, and does nothing to ease my fears. “Little girls are known to act out when faced with big changes. It could be nothing more than that.”
“Yeah. It could.” But my gut tells me it’s not.
“I can tell by the sound of your voice that you don’t believe me,” Maxwell says with a chuckle. “Tell you what. I have some people I can call who are very skilled at dealing with Little ones in crisis. Give me a few days to make some arrangements and in the meantime, just keep an eye on Kerry and let me know if anything else happens.”
Relief nearly makes my knees weak. “Thanks, Max. I’m probably overreacting but…”
“Nonsense. A Daddy knows when something is wrong with his Little one. You go take care of your babygirl and I’ll make those phone calls.”
“We appreciate you. Thanks again.”
“Don't mention it.”
I’m just ending the call when the nursery door opens and Celeste steps out into the hallway. “I finally got her to sleep,” she whispers, pulling the door gently shut behind her. “Who was that?”
“Max. He’s going to make some phone calls and see about bringing someone in to talk to Kerry if this keeps up.”
The same relief I felt a moment ago flashes across my wife’s face. “Good. That’s good. Something is wrong, Graham, I just wish she’d tell us what.”
“I know.” Reaching for her, I pull Celeste into my arms and press a kiss to the top of her head. “We’ll figure it out, Mommy. I promise.”
But even as I say the words, I worry this will be one promise I’m unable to keep.
Chapter Ten
Kerry
My misery follows me well into the next day, making for a very grumpy wake-up call that earns me another spanking before I even get out of my crib. I get my second spanking of the day for ignoring Mommy’s request to pick up my toys and my third for refusing to eat the carrot sticks Daddy gave me with my lunch.
By the time Mommy and Daddy put me down for my nap, my bottom is so sore I almost can’t stand to wear my diaper. Which should help my heart feel better, but it doesn’t. Nothing seems to help the ache in my chest after what happened with Solene yesterday. Sleep doesn’t come easy—or really at all—meaning I’m not in a much better mood when they come to retrieve me from my crib.
“How’s our grumpy girl?” Mommy teases as she lifts me from the crib so I can wrap myself around her.
When I don’t respond, Daddy chuckles. “Still grumpy, from the looks of things. Hopefully the surprise we have planned will help.”
Lifting my head from Mommy's shoulder, I look over at him. “Surprise? What kind of surprise?”
Mommy gives my back a gentle little pat. “Let’s get your diaper changed and then we can talk about it.”
“Can’t I just use the bathroom like a normal person? Please?”
I already know it’s futile to even ask, but I can’t seem to help myself. Laying me down on the changing table, Mommy frowns and shakes her head. “You are a normal person, Kerry Addison. A perfectly normal Little girl. So you are going to use your diaper like the good Little girl you are.”
There’s really no point in arguing when she uses that firm tone, so I close my eyes and picture running water. Before too long, I wet my diaper, and even manage not to cry at how gross it feels.
“Such a good little baby!” Mommy praises as she wraps a fresh diaper around me and passes me off to Daddy. “Are you ready for your surprise?”
A flicker of excitement manages to spark inside me. “Yes!”
Mommy and Daddy share a look, and Mommy looks like she’s about to burst right out of her skin. “We’re going to go get your apartment all packed up so you can officially move in with Mommy and Daddy!”
Dread drops like a weight into my stomach. If they step one foot into my perfectly clean, perfectly organized apartment, they’ll realize right away that I’m not the disaster I’ve been pretending to be.
I cannot, under any circumstances, allow that to happen.
“No.”
Both of Mommy’s eyebrows shoot straight toward her hairline. “Did you just tell me no, little girl?”
