Kaleb wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked into the room where Darian, Gage, Larkin, and Brylee were sitting.
“Hey, guys, I’d like you to meet Aleena.” He grinned when all three girls stood staring at each other in fascination.
“Aleena, these are the friends I talk about all the time.” He pointed to each person and told her their names.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
The men smiled at her.
“We’re glad to meet you, honey,” Darian said. “He’s told us all about you.”
Aleena glanced up at Kaleb and grinned. “I hope it wasn’t bad.”
Kaleb snorted and kissed the top of her head. “Like that would ever happen.”
“Girls, why don’t you take Aleena up and show her your room?”
The girls nodded and headed out the door.
Aleena tightened her ho
ld on his hand.
“How about I come up with you until you feel comfortable?”
She smiled brightly. “Yes, please.”
Kaleb turned to the other two men. “I’ll be right back.”
Gage waved him away. “Take your time.”
Kaleb stayed until his girl sat happily with the other two and talked excitedly about the doll she had at home.
“I’ll be right downstairs if you need me, baby.”
Aleena smiled at him. “Okay, daddy.”
****
Larkin waited until Kaleb left the room to scoot over to Aleena.
“I know you’re like us—me and Brylee. We all three do better having a daddy to take care of us. But, are you like … really needy?”
Aleena stopped dressing the doll in her lap and looked at Larkin. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just.” Larkin paused and glanced over at Brylee and then turned back to Aleena. “I really want you to be our friend and hang out with us, but I overheard Kaleb telling the others one time that he didn’t want a needy little. He didn’t want one that was too much work, and I just wondered if you are.”
Aleena thought hard about her and Kaleb’s time together. He did get terse when she whined too much. He disliked it when she begged. She liked it when he held her, so she was always getting into his lap even when he was working.
“Aleena?” Brylee asked and reached over to pat her hand. “Are you okay?”
“I’m just thinking.” She was quiet for a moment and then nodded. “I am needy. Maybe too needy. Sometimes I see a look cross his face that I couldn’t interpret, and now I think it could be disgust.”
Larkin sniffed and put her arm around her new friend.
“What do I do?” Aleena asked the other girls.
“Can you act more mature? Maybe if he thought you didn’t need him as much, he’d be okay,” Brylee said.