Authors Note: A small section of this story contains some harsher elements of the Daddy-Dom and little girl relationship. Some readers may find it not to their liking so I am leaving this small warning. For regular readers of Calliope's story, I hope you enjoy. ~ellie
Over the following few weeks, Calliope continued her training and got to know Padraic's routine well. On Monday nights, they had people over for dinner. Bea and Jesse and Jamie came every second week and in between they invited someone else from the family. Tuesday to Thursday was all work with training followed by relaxing evenings on their own. Fridays were cleaning days and in Calliope's mind ass-fucking days, while it was never as bad as that first time, Callie still didn't quite love it the way Padraic did. Saturdays were shopping days, and Calliope looked forward to these as Padraic loved to spoil her, she could ask for the things she wanted or needed and he would then take her somewhere nice for lunch. At the moment Sundays were their day to relax, they had no routine. They preferred to just hang out and play but he had told her that they might occasionally go to Sunday School with the rest of the family in the future.
The thought of the playroom still weighed on Calliope, especially after one Monday night dinner with Uncle Odin and Sarah, at which Sarah took great delight in telling her all about Shelly and how in love Padraic had been with her. Calliope had tried to ask Bea about it but couldn't form the words she wanted to say, so she sighed and gave up. She finally asked Jamie one night in a brief moment they had been left alone together as Padraic and Bea looked at something on his computer. Jamie had been tight-lipped except to say that she shouldn't listen to anything Sarah says because she was a brat.
Calliope didn't want a room in the house that belonged to another little girl that Padraic loved. The thought of sharing him bothered her a lot. Padraic always instilled in her the need to tell him what she was thinking, claiming that he wasn't a mind reader, but she didn't know what to say or how to say it. So eventually she decided to put it in her journal, and she drew a plan of the house labelling each room. In the place of the word playroom though, she had labelled it Shelly's room. It wasn't that she wanted to be in there particularly but like her own room she would like it changed so that the ghost of Shelly didn't haunt her thoughts when she saw the closed door. Finally, in very neat writing she captioned the picture.
"In Daddy's house there are two little girl's; one is me; the other is a ghost called Shelly who has her own room. I don't like it."
Padraic said nothing when he saw it but that night when he had put Calliope in the bath he called Bea to ask her if she had told Calliope about Shelly. She in turn recounted Jamie's story and Padraic smiled into the phone, "He really is becoming such a nice young man."
"Yes, he is. I know you don't like to dwell on it but maybe it's time you told Calliope the whole story?" Bea suggested with some concern. "I mean Sarah is not the only little brat in our family. She is bound to hear things when you start coming to Sunday school again. Best she hears the truth from you, rather than dwelling on half-truth and rumour."
"Yeah, I guess," Padraic grimaced. "Seems the playroom needs an overhaul too, she thinks that it is Shelly's room, and that's why I won't let her play there."
"Is she right?" Bea said without accusation, but more to point out that it could be true.
"No!" Padraic was aghast, but he considered not for the first time if that was why he had not wanted to play with Calliope in there. "I am thinking of turning it into a different type of playroom, not so school like."
"Probably a good idea, let me know if you need a hand," Bea laughed knowing he never would. The man was so particular about the things in his life he would never trust anyone with redecorating the room.
Padraic hung up after ending the call and finished making dinner for them before getting Calliope out of the bath and dressing her in her pajamas. They ate dinner out on the back deck watching the summer storm brew and head towards them. As usual she took their plates to clean up the kitchen and once again marvelled at how little mess he left for her to deal with.
Busy loading the dishwasher she didn't hear him come into the kitchen until he murmured softly, "We better have a talk about this," he placed her journal on the bench.
She closed the dishwasher and immediately her hand went to twirl a stray ringlet of hair as she turned to face him worried that she was in trouble. Rather than being upset Padraic face showed concern, and she relaxed slightly.
"Come, baby," he held out his hand to her and taking it she let him lead her into the lounge room. They sat on a large cushioned sofa facing each other, and Padraic leaned forward to kiss her lightly. "You couldn't just tell me what Sarah said? It obviously bothered you," he said gently tilting her face up to his so he could read her eyes. Calliope shook her head slightly still not quite having the words to ask what she needed to know.
"So you wrote this message in your journal for me," Padraic stated the obvious and she nodded. "Would it be enough for me to assure you that Shelly is no longer part of my life and that I do not care for her the way I once did?"
Calliope frowned, she wasn't sure if it would be enough. Thoughts of the ghost that was Shelly haunted her now, and she needed to know more. More about who she was, what she was like and the type of relationship they had. She closed her eyes and wondered if she really wanted to know it all. Would knowing that she was gone for good be enough?
"You are special Callie. You are different from any other little girl I have ever known, and you are perfect for me. Shelly pales in comparison, but I guess I let her memory live in that room and so I will change it, to make it your playroom, but the rules in there will still apply." He looked into her eyes and saw her smile slightly. "In that room, when it is yours, you will do exactly as I say, the moment I say it, even if you don't like it, or it hurts, or you are scared. In there you are only to trust and obey, you understand?"
"Yes, Paddy," she said sincerely. Now that the conversation had started she was reluctant to let it go so easily, and she asked the one question that she needed an answer to. "Sarah said you were madly in love with Shelly and that you never got over her..." she gulped at a strange look that flittered over Padraic's face. "I mean if, she came back... I um," her voice faded as struggled to find the words she needed yet again.
"It is true I cared about Shelly very much, and I would never turn her out on the street if she came to me and needed help but..." he made sure she was looking him in the eyes as he continued, "I didn't know how good love could feel until I met you Callie. I adore you. I am happier than I have ever been, and that is because of you. You are different from her, and I feel love for you in a very different way." Padraic struggled to express how he felt to Calliope.
"But I don't make you happy the way she did..." Calliope couldn't let it go, she wasn't sure why it was so important to her to be Padraic's everything, but she wanted to be more than just the best choice at this time.
At that moment, he realised just how much Shelly had influenced his relationship with Calliope. Rather than enjoying the fun of family gatherings and Sunday school he had jealousy kept her away from anyone who could also have an influence on her. He needed to be secure in her love and trust her to return to him or risk losing her from hanging on too tightly, he knew. He would also need to return to work in the New Year and had not decided yet what to do with Calliope when the time came. She over-thought things too much when left to her own devices. Misunderstandings often occurred, much like this one, when she thought too much about something that bothered her. He considered that sending her to college with Carl was possibly the best option available to him.
"I love you more, differently yes, but in those differences you make me happier," He answered her last statement as if it was a question, his temper rising with her lack of understanding and having to explain himself more thoroughly.
"I love you, too," she snuggled close to him hiding her thoughtful face from his gaze as she tried to make sense of his words and how she felt. She lay there letting him hold her as they both let their own thoughts take over, and the thunder from the approaching storm filled the silence. Padraic told her the whole story of his and Shelly's relationship, explaining his reticence to share Calliope, even with the family members he trusted.
Calliope remembered the first time she had been welcomed into the family and what had occurred that night with their lifestyle family. She turned to him then and nodded, "I not sure I want to share you either. Who says we have to? I mean you're my Daddy, so it's your rules I have to obey not the others in the family, right?" Padraic chuckled and gathered her close kissing her nose.
"We'll talk some more about Sunday school and the family in the morning, but right now I am thinking we have better things to do," he said, smacking her ass hard making her yelp and grinned.
"Paddy?" Calliope said softly, and he looked at her questioningly.
"I really think it's a good idea to change the room, for you but for me, all the stuff that I saw and the way it is now..." her voice faded, but Padraic remained silent wondering where this was going. "I could be good enough for just one time... before you change it... I mean... you liked to play in there, or you wouldn't have kept it... I just want to know... you know... the differences."