Deborah didn’t fully understand what was happening, but she let Samantha lead the way. After a few minutes of driving, they arrived at the mall.“And what are we going to buy?” Deborah asked as they entered, but she suddenly felt Samantha and Danielle link their arms around each of hers.“You’re about to find out,” Samantha said. “And look, I conveniently brought Eric’s and Jayden’s credit cards to buy whatever we want,” she added, revealing two black corporate credit cards in her hand.“What...” Deborah stared in astonishment.“And look here, ma’am,” Danielle said, pulling another black card from her pocket. “Your father sent this additional card for you to buy anything you want,” she declared, slipping it into Deborah’s blouse pocket.“Um... thanks, but it’s not necessary to use this money. I also have my own credit card, and...”“Don’t worry, dear, it’s good to have reinforcements because we don’t know how much we’ll spend today.”“Wait... what? Are we using all four cards?”
The shopping afternoon turned out to be excellent therapy, as Samantha made sure Deborah bought everything: from a doll she had always wanted as a child to high-end clothes that caught her eye.Samantha was thrilled to see Deborah enjoying herself. She was just like Jayden, getting more excited about buying the toys she had once wished for than the clothes and accessories.Deborah almost perfectly followed the rule of only thinking about herself, but in the end, she bought gifts for her companions and found something special to bring back to the rest of her family.They finished shopping just as the sun was setting, so they decided to head home to have dinner with the family.“Jayden, your mom just texted me—they’re on their way home for dinner.”“Yay, did you hear that, James? Mommy’s almost here.”James happily waved his hands, mimicking his dad’s excitement.Just then, they heard the car pulling up, so they went outside to greet them.As they opened the door, they saw Daniel
After dinner, Deborah asked her in-laws if they could look after James so that she and Jayden could have a private night together.That night was a passionate one for Jayden and Deborah as they enjoyed the new lingerie she had bought. Since it was the first time they had been intimate since James was born, they stayed up until the early morning.The next morning, after breakfast, the family set off for their appointment with the wedding planner."Good morning," the wedding planner's secretary greeted them. "Do you have an appointment?""Good morning, yes, it's under Samantha Cooper.""Uh... oh... the Coopers," the secretary said, suddenly standing up, looking flustered. "Yes... yes, please come in," he said, guiding them to a specially prepared room. "I'll let my boss know you've arrived. In the meantime, please feel free to enjoy everything that was prepared for you."James cooed as he looked around in awe at everything in the room."I agree, son," Jayden said, equally impresse
For some reason, Deborah and Jayden felt like kids taking an oral exam. David suddenly became very serious. Tablet in hand, he began grilling them about their preferences—everything from their favorite flowers, colors, flavors, and scents to preferred fabrics and textures.“And the final question: sweet, bitter, or spicy?” David asked, looking up at the couple.“Uh... sweet,” Jayden answered hesitantly, feeling the question was a bit ambiguous.“Citrus bitter,” Deborah said thoughtfully.“Citrus?” Jayden repeated, looking into her eyes.“Yes, why?” she asked as they both started laughing.“Oh, never mind. So, what’s the purpose of this interrogation?”“Yeah, I’m wondering the same thing: what’s the point of these questions?”“They’re to help me get to know you better,” David explained, finishing his notes on his tablet. “And even though it might seem a bit silly, these are important questions for me because they’re a good foundation for making decisions and choices.”“Like wha
After finishing his calls, David led the family to the special venue he had in mind. It wasn't the site Eric had chosen, but there were no complaints because the couple was impressed the moment they saw the facade.They arrived just as Nicholas did, who joined the family in exploring the venue.The place was an old house that had been remodeled to be rented out for events, retaining its original architectural charm. It had a spacious parking lot, a covered party hall that could hold about 700 people, a large, fully-equipped kitchen, and a garden that could accommodate up to 1,500 guests or be used to set up a big stage for a band or a large dance floor.The exterior featured a garden filled with roses of various colors and sizes, along with weeping willows that added a magical touch to the landscape, as well as several strategically placed fountains, benches, and atriums for guests to enjoy nature.But what completely won the couple over was the second floor of the main house, whic
“Dad?” Deborah and Jayden had just returned from their walk and were shocked to see Nicholas crying. Deborah rushed over to hug him. “What happened? Are you okay?”“Oh, I’m fine,” Nicholas replied, trying to dry his tears.“Sir...” David quickly handed him a handkerchief. “I’m sorry if I said something offensive, I...”“Not at all, young man. You just reminded me of something beautiful.”“What happened?” Jayden asked, concerned as he approached his mother.“David mentioned wanting to talk to Alexandra about how she wants to decorate the church for our daughter’s wedding,” Nicholas explained, tearing up again.Deborah, hearing this, began to cry as she hugged her father.David, now unsure of what was happening, saw Jayden approach and pat his right shoulder.“David, I don’t think you’ll be able to chat with my mother-in-law because she passed away a long time ago,” Jayden said, pointing toward the sky.“Oh... God, I’m so sorry, I...”“Don’t worry, David, you didn’t know, and y
Now that the important locations were secured, the wedding felt more real than ever, and of course, the reporters quickly caught wind of the venues since paying the full amount wasn’t something just anyone could do. Everyone close to the couple was excited to hear them talk about the wedding preparations. With the news that the wedding plans were moving forward, two specific people sought out Deborah and Jayden to ‘ask-demand’ that they be involved in the wedding. Interestingly, one of those people showed up that morning at Deborah’s office. Deborah was discussing some pending matters with her father about new investments and stock market movements, as they needed to take advantage of buying and selling low-cost shares that had the potential to increase in value in the future. “Look, Debbie, these shares are promising,” Nicholas began. “They’re from a tree company, and we know what’s coming up soon.” “Hmm... they’ll increase in value in a few months, which could help us,” s
“These frames have some beautiful letterhead designs,” Deborah said, admiring the sheets displayed on the wall.“Look at this one, love,” Jayden said, pointing to a frame that featured a design with rubber ducks riding waves on little boats.“Waa!” James got excited when he saw the picture and tried to reach for it.“I agree, son, it’s a cute design,” Deborah said.“Looks like we found the perfect invitation for his birthday,” Samantha commented. “And it fits the season of his birthday perfectly.”“Good afternoon,” said a woman entering the room, carrying several sample books.“Good afternoon,” the family greeted in return, taking seats around the table.“I see you like the specials,” the woman said, pointing to the wall.“Specials?” Deborah asked.“Yes, these sheets are the most requested designs by our clients,” she explained as she began opening the sample books. “David mentioned you’re looking for wedding invitations, so I brought the models we currently offer. But if none