“Daddy’s here,” Chad said, words that instantly made me
breathless.
I wasn’t sure, however, what, exactly, took my breath
away. Was it shock that he was suddenly acting like that? Or maybe doubts
as to what his intentions really were? Perhaps it was joy for some reason that
I couldn’t completely comprehend yet?
Or was it fear?
Fear that this would be yanked away from me as quickly as it came?
I was still trying to sort things out in my head when he spoke once more.
“Daddy’s here,” he repeated. “What does this big baby boy need?” he asked,
cooingly.
I rested my head on his sturdy chest, still wondering whether all of this
was real. I hooked my hands around his muscular arm to give it a tight hug.
Then, without even thinking, I softly murmured my reply the only way I
could at that time... the only way a baby could at that moment. “Da...da....”
I expected him to retreat with disgust if not downright anger.
He didn’t.
He continued to caress my hair, extending a little bit downwards to reach
my neck. His skin was warm. It felt really good.
“Awwww,” he clucked. “My baby boy’s a sweet one, eh? That makes
daddy happy.”
I... I make him happy?
By being like this?
By showing him a side of me that I have long concealed from the world
to avoid condemnation and contempt?
I couldn’t fully describe how wonderful that made me feel.
“Dada,” I cawed with delight as I playfully rubbed my nose all over his
upper body, repeating that word - that heart-melting term of endearment - by
singing out its syllables. “Dada, dada, dada, dada...”
He ruffled my hair to reciprocate my glee. I tightened my hold on his arm
as I brushed my lips over the bare part of his bicep. We continued with that
coltish exchange for about a minute. Never have I experienced such thrill,
such happiness, and such effusiveness before.
And that made me excited.
Too excited for my own good.
It was a gush that quickly became a stream before turning into a wild
cascade, all in a matter of seconds. A surge in my bladder. A sudden need for
release. A kind of pressure that couldn’t be contained.
I lifted my head, leaving the sanctuary that was his chest. I closed my
eyes and tried to stop it.
I failed.
It was the warmth on my butt which I felt first, followed by the sudden
heaviness of my diaper, then my body quivered. The wetness of my nappy
was the last thing I noticed as I realized what has just happened.
I peed.
I peed while with Chad... while with my daddy... and that made me quite
agitated.
The change in my demeanor didn’t escape his attention. He showed
immediate concern. “What’s wrong, baby boy?” he asked, his face a picture
of affectionate disquietude.
I couldn’t answer. I dared not tell him what just happened. It was
embarrassing. Worse, it might turn him off... and that may turn him away
from me and this - all of this - would come to a screeching halt. I wasn’t
ready for that. I wasn’t ready for this to end.
And so I kept quiet.
But my discomfort caused a frown to form on my own face.
“Hmmmm, I know what’s wrong!” Chad blurted rather triumphantly.
Oh no. Was he on to me? Did he discover the truth? But how?
“This baby boy’s hungry, huh?” he continued, much to my relief.
I nodded vigorously, savoring the fact that my wet diaper remained a
secret.
He quickly stood up and proceeded to the kitchen. My hands instinctively
reached for him as he turned away from me. I wanted him to stay. To be by
my side. To be with me. Forever.
He scoured the fridge. “What do you want? Oh, I know! P and J? That
sounds yummy, huh?”
I always hated P and J sandwiches. I just kept quiet.
“Let’s see,” he muttered as he reached for the jar of peanut butter. He
turned it around and looked for something on the label. His head suddenly
tilted backwards as if he was shocked by what he saw. It was most probably
the expiration date. “Uhm... nope. No P and J for today, baby boy. Let’s look
for something else.”
But I didn’t want ‘something else.’
All I wanted was him.
Of course, I couldn’t tell him that and I did give him the impression that I
was hungry, so I might as well play along and suggest a treat that I actually
liked.
And the only thing that I liked to fill my tummy with at that instance was
in my luggage.
“I’ve got leftover orange chicken from the Chinese takeout last night,” he
said as he continued to search for food. “Was it last night? Or two nights
ago?”
It was actually from last week.
“Nah,” he went on to say. “No Chinese food for tonight. Let’s look for
something else.”
I was so desperate for him to read my mind.
“Ah ah ah!” I bawled, trying to get his attention.
“Eh?” he remarked as he turned around to look at me. “What’s the
matter?”
I pointed at my luggage while continuing to bluster more vowel sounds.
“The suitcase? What about it?” he wanted to know.
“Ah ah ah!” I kept hollering, frantically waving my hand towards my
traveling bag.
“Yeah, yeah... I know. It’s old and it’s worn down and it probably has
molds and stuff. Does that scare you, baby boy? Want me to throw it out or
something?”
I shook my head with fraught before proceeding to point at it again.
Chad sighed as he marched to where the luggage was. He searched its
content, sifting through the clothes that were there. Then, he discovered what
I wanted him to find. He lifted it up and looked at it intently before turning
his gaze on me.
I nodded enthusiastically.
“Errr... what should I do with this thing?” he asked, confused, as he held
the feeding bottle in front of his face.
I just flashed a wide smile.
“Oh... you want to... drink from it?” he asked, still perplexed.
I nodded excitedly once again.
“Drink what from it? Water?”
I shook my head as I pouted.
“Uhm... soda then?”
I shook my head even more vehemently.
“Errrr... m-milk?” his voice began to tremble.
I nodded with an even broader grin.
“Oh... uhm... I... I don’t think we have some... uhm... milk on the
fridge...”
I stood up on my bed and started to jump, pointing at my luggage once
more.
Chad bit his lip as he realized what he saw inside my suitcase two weeks
ago on my second night at his place. “Oh... that’s right. You’ve got a can of
powdered milk there, huh?”
And again, I nodded quite zealously.
With a deep sigh, he proceeded to look for the can. Once he found it, he
read the instructions. “Two level spoons per ounce, hmmm...” he mumbled to
himself. He brought the can and the feeding bottle to the kitchen. He filled up
the bottle with water from the fridge before meticulously scooping some
powder and pouring it on the container. After around four scoops, he placed
the lid and twisted it. Then he began to shake the bottle vigorously.
He looked cute doing that... a tall, muscular, rugged-looking man doing
baby duties with awkward grace and contrite mastery. It was an endearing
sight, one that made me feel things I knew I shouldn’t even be feeling.
“There you go,” he victoriously boasted. “This is gonna be more delicious
than something that’ll ever come out of any cow!”
I wanted to laugh at how wrong that statement sounded. Instead, I just
jumped up and down my bed to show him how excited I was.
He sat on the edge and offered me the bottle.
I lied down and rested my head over his lap. He didn’t protest. He didn’t
even show the slightest sign of aversion.
I held the bottle with my hands as I sucked on the n****e. It wasn’t the
best mixture I’ve ever tasted, but somehow, it had the most amazing flavor
I’ve ever experienced. It wasn’t because Chad blended it perfectly, no. Far
from it, to be honest. The milk tasted a little bitter. But I liked it. I liked it a
lot. And it was all because he was the one who prepared it... Chad... my
roommate... my stepbrother...
My...
Daddy..
He gently ran his fingers over my forehead as I consumed my milk. His
touch was more soothing than feeding from my bottle. I closed my eyes to
relish every millisecond of that moment... a moment which I hoped I could
freeze in time so that I could enjoy it forever.
I’ve never felt safer, more secure, and happier than that instance.
I turned to my side and pushed my face into his tummy. He chuckled a
bit, amused by my gesture. I held his arm and squeezed it, my way of telling
him how much I appreciated what he was doing. He continued to caress my
forehead.
And that was when everything came tumbling down.
My right hand, idle as it was and seemingly acting on its own, reached for
his c**k. It grabbed his d**k and gave it a hard squash.
“Whoa!” he yelled as he stood up.
My head slipped from his lap, crashing on the mattress of my bed. My
bottle slid from my hand, falling on the floor below.
“Yo, Alex, whoa!” he continued to bark. “Yo, man... uhhh... that’s not
how I roll, okay?”
“I... I...” words wouldn’t come out of my mouth. I knew, right there and
then, that it was over. It was all over.
“This... This...” Chad was already babbling. He was confused and afraid
and angry. “This... is a f*****g mistake, Alex. I’m sorry... I... I can’t fucking
do this... I shouldn’t have f*****g done this..”
And then he walked out of the apartment.
I never saw him again that night...
A night I spent alone and in tears and, as I belatedly realized, with a heart
that has never been that shattered in my life.